Delivery
by Mrs Scorpius Malfoy
Summary: It is then that Sasuke realizes he loves her, when he sees her hands covered in blood and hears the wailing of a newborn. Whereas Sasuke's hands have mostly brought death and destruction, Sakura's have the talent of bringing life into the world. This is their path to recovery.
1. Delivery

**Just something small that has been dancing in my mind for weeks. And I need to get this out before I continue writing Kurayami and In the Name of Life. Happy reading!**

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><p><strong>Delivery<strong>

It is then that Sasuke realizes he loves her.

He sees her with her hands covered in blood.

The sound of a wailing newborn ringing in his ears. The panting, the sweat, the accomplishment it brings.

It is her first, he knows.

But Sakura handles it like the professional she is. And he cannot help but give her a large amount of respect for that. Delivering a newborn without proper aid, all natural, is a process that has taken many lives in the past.

But there he is, standing beside Naruto and Kakashi, observing as the only female member of their four-man trekking group successfully performs her first delivery.

They are all inside a small hut in an impoverished town. Their travels around the world led them there after days of finding a quiet place to take a break. Kakashi's idea of team rebuilding seems appropriate for Naruto and Sakura, who are eager to see what the other countries have to offer to some of the most powerful shinobi of their time. Sasuke, on the other hand, is slowly getting used to the idea of rebuilding bonds with the people he tried so hard to leave.

The impoverished town they are currently staying in shows them the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi War. Townspeople wander around the streets selling the few scraps they can find and orphans gather around in hidden corners to stay warm during the night. Sakura was the one to propose the idea of staying back for a couple of weeks and help these people resettle themselves in what is left over. Kakashi and Naruto agreed. Sasuke had no say. Though he secretly is glad they can take a break from traveling.

One of the few people Sakura befriends is a young woman, less than twenty five, whose partner abandoned her after the town crumbled and left her with child.

And now, Sasuke has just witnessed how his teammate delivered the woman's baby.

By her expression, Sakura is still stunned by the last twenty four hours of labour. The woman, who Kakashi renders unconscious to let her rest, is lying on her blood covered bed. Her long black hair shoots up in every direction, and her usually dark skin is now several shades lighter from exhaustion. Sasuke doesn't even know her name. He never felt like he needed to, but now he sees this woman's significance in his teammates' life and regrets not being so involved.

Naruto awkwardly takes the crying baby from Sakura's hands who, in turn, takes a clean kunai and cuts the umbilical cord. The girl's arms return to her front torso, as if they are missing the small bundle they were previously holding.

"It's a boy," she mumbles so lowly that Sasuke barely hears her.

Sakura hasn't washed her hands yet. He looks down at his own. Whereas his hands have brought destruction and death into this world, Sakura is capable of bringing life. During their years apart, Sasuke only thought of how to kill the next person on his hit list. Sakura, on the other hand, learned how to heal, mend broken bodies, witness deformed corpses, and deliver babies.

"Go wash yourself, Sakura. We will take care of him," Kakashi instructs his former student.

Sasuke watches her exit the room while the other two men head over to the small lavatory and clean the baby's soft skin. The child stops crying after they wrap him up in an old grey blanket.

Though Sakura may be in a different room, and with a talent that contradicts his, Sasuke has never felt any closer to his teammate.

He exits the room, leaving the unconscious new mother with a knucklehead ninja and the perverted future Hokage. And a baby, of course.

In the small kitchen adjacent to the woman's room, Sasuke finds Sakura sitting on the floor against the wall. Her hands -and clothes- are still stained in red, yet she isn't moving from her place. Instead, tears are falling down her face. She wipes them away when she realizes Sasuke is looking at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just... first time, you know," she tries to explain. Silently, though, he can tell how afraid she was about it.

Even after years of training, surviving a war, being declared a Sannin, and wandering around along with three of the most powerful ninja alive, Sakura is still afraid of failure.

She ought to be, Sasuke recognizes. Losing a life on her first real delivery would have been catastrophic to her reputation and self-esteem. Yet the baby and the mother are alive and well, both of them one room away.

Sakura is still wiping away her tears, which do not seem to stop, and she leaves behind smudges of blood on her cheeks.

"I better go back."

Before she can stand up, Sasuke finds himself kneeling in front of his teammate, preventing her from moving.

"You need to rest as well."

For the past couple of months, neither of them have had time alone. Maybe it was because there was a lack of trust between the two, or because Sakura's last confession was met with a worse reaction than her first. But after the war was all over, and that Kakashi convinced the Kages that team rebuilding while travelling was the best choice to evaluate if Sasuke was a safe ally, he has not spent a single moment alone with his only female teammate. Naruto or Kakashi were always present, starting up a conversation, proposing what to do and where to go next.

Sasuke notes this is the first time that he wants to stay with Sakura alone. He wants to give her something, _anything,_ yet he does not know how to express what she needs.

And so, he tears the fabric of his shirt and cleans her cheeks. The simple motion catches Sakura off guard. She is so invested in her emotions from the past twenty four hours -desperation, fear, failure, expectations, reputation, hope, success- that the last thing she expects is for someone to be present for her.

Much less if that person is none other than Sasuke. Her old teammate. The boy -or man- who almost killed her, betrayed her, hurt her to almost no repair, and yet still she held on to the hope that Naruto keeps babbling about. That Sasuke is changing. This soul searching wandering adventure with her team is to rebuild bonds and trust, to find themselves. Sakura has been lost for a while now, and not just because of Sasuke. She is lost because of herself, because of the things she witnessed during the war, the things that happened during the war.

But here, on this dusty uneven floor, she is sitting in front of the one individual who has no emotions left in him yet who makes her feel everything. And he is, in his own manner, going out of his way to console her messed-up self even after not knowing how to deal with his own issues without breaking others apart.

The fabric against her skin, which is completely bloodstained, is disregarded. Instead, Sakura feels Sasuke's thumbs press on her cheeks as they continue to clean her trail of tears. Without holding back, she welcomes his touch and extends her arms, wrapping them tightly around his torso. She buries her face on his chest, fully aware of the mess she is causing on his clothes but without the care of what he may think. Sakura realizes that she needs the contact, the catalyst back to reality that is Sasuke.

And he lets her in. He lets Sakura hold her grasp on his shirt, too scared to let go. It is not a moment to console for sadness; it is a moment to share her relief for the lives she could give. Sasuke does not mind that tomorrow he may have to shop for new clothes. He does not mind that it may be the last time they touch in such an intimate, personal, emotional way.

Sakura does not need to know that he finally reciprocates her feelings. Not now, at least.

Yet here she is, almost eighteen, crying her eyes out after finishing her first delivery. Still afraid of failure. But maybe not as much as before.

"Rest," he says and taps two fingers on her forehead. Though there was no genjutsu at play in this action, it works as magic on Sakura, for she closes her eyes and slumps her head forward.

Like many years ago, Sasuke picks her up and carries her to the low leveled dinner table, which is the only decent and clean place in the kitchen. He slowly places her on it, without trying to awaken her from her much needed sleep. He recalls that the last time Sakura closed her eyes was two days ago when he and Naruto were sparring in a nearby river and she and Kakashi took in the sun under the trees.

He watches her steady breath for a moment, noticing that, yes, he indeed loves her. Where the feeling came from, he has no idea. Maybe it was hidden beneath all the hatred and revenge he craved, and it took this moment for it to surface. Seeing Sakura in such a vulnerable state, giving all of her mighty power to bring life to the world, is what shakes Sasuke's insides. It gives him... emotion. It gives him a reason to continue. To stay. To ensure that she is able to deliver more births so that the world forgets the pain he felt for years.

Sasuke turns around and catches Naruto leaning on the doorway, looking at him with a feral-like side grin. No words are exchanged. There isn't a need to. His friend already understands what's going through his heart. Heck, for someone as thick as Naruto, he probably called it way before Sasuke even realized what loving another person like this meant.

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><p>Later on that night, Sakura wakes up. She sees Sasuke sitting on the same place she was in earlier, his face contoured by the moonlight entering through the small kitchen window. He is awake, but she knows that attending to her duties is priority to figuring out what went on between the two of them.<p>

She heads over to the woman's room and finds her sleeping on clean bed sheets. Kakashi and Naruto, both sitting on a chair facing the bed, are sleeping with their heads resting on their arms against the mattress. The baby boy is resting in a small basket on his mother's right side. Silently, Sakura makes her way to the basket and finds the small child breathing steadily. She sighs of relief; it is all reality.

With care, Sakura picks up the baby and readjusts the blanket around him before going back to the kitchen. She does not want to wake up the room's occupants, and much less if the baby starts to cry in the middle of the night. A candle is lit up, she places the baby on the kitchen table, and concentrates chakra on her hands to scan over his tiny body.

All his vitals seem to be in good condition. Aside from the faint wheezing sound he makes while sleeping, the baby is healthy. There is no liquid in his lungs left, no signs of a heart murmur, has all ten fingers and toes. His head is lightly covered by thin black hairs, similar to the mother's, and his skin is a few shades lighter than hers. Sakura can already see some of his mother's features manifest in the baby boy's tiny face.

Although the child isn't Sakura's, she still feels pride swell up within her at looking this new life. After war, destruction, and its aftermath, one needs to find the silver lining in everything.

She picks up the baby once again and rocks him back and forth, all too aware that Sasuke is silently watching her from his sitting position. A small smile appears in her lips. This is the feeling she has been looking for for months. The relief, the last held breath that comes when all is said and done. The chance of hope after losing so many lives.

The baby's head rests gently on her hand, while her other arm is wrapped around his tiny body. Sakura turns around to face her sitting teammate with an idea in mind.

"Sasuke-kun, do you want to hold him?"

He is the only one who hasn't had the honours yet, she reckons. Sasuke seems hesitant at first, but still stands up from his spot and walks over from where she is. Silently, and with a similar awkwardness like Naruto earlier, he takes the bundle from Sakura's arms.

"Hold his head with your hand. Yes, like that. Now wrap your other arm around his body and hold him close. You're doing it better than Naruto." That last comment seems to have boasted Sasuke's confidence in holding the baby boy.

There is something about this scene which also feels awfully personal and intimate between them. Sakura doesn't want to think about it too much, though passing a black-haired baby from her arms to Sasuke's brings makes her imagination run wild. It must be the lack of sleep, she tells herself.

Seeing Sasuke hold a new life with the same hands that killed so many in the past is a contradicting picture in Sakura's reality. The person who once declared to uphold all the pain and hatred of the world so that no one would suffer again is now touching the symbol of hope for the future. Maybe the baby will grow up to become another respectable shinobi, or maybe a well-mannered civilian who puts his town back in order.

"Sasuke-kun," she hesitates at first, "do you... want children?"

This situation already feels strange enough. To have the man who almost killed her long ago hold the newborn she helped deliver to this world is something Sakura would think impossible. Yet here he is, still willing to give life with Team 7 another chance. Willing to take this indefinite team rebuilding time until he is ready to go back to Konoha.

And when that happens, all of them would walk in through the gates together as a family. As the Second Sannin and the Sixth Hokage.

Sasuke does not know what to answer at first. Before the war was over, the thought of reinstating his family was long gone from his plans. Now the world around him is changing once more and Sakura is the personification of all he wishes for the future though he has no idea what that is.

"I think so," he answers, because the thought of Sakura passing him a baby that is -hypothetically- his comforts the dormant torment in his chest.

He thinks that, maybe, one day he would be ready enough to confess that tonight is when he began to love her. Because Sakura brings life into this world. And he wishes to help her in bringing that.

"Me too," she says.


	2. Presence

**Presence**

They travel for months in what Kakashi calls a team rebuilding exercise and they all follow his example. However, in reality, the three Second Sannin and thefuture Hokage are trying to hide themselves from the repercussions of war.

After the fated battle between Naruto and Sasuke was over, the two other members of their team found them on the brink of dying. Much to their dismay, the authorities of the Shinobi Alliance shortly followed. Team 7 was surrounded by the five most powerful and influential ninja of the world, who were after Sasuke's head and needed to be held in trial.

Sakura interfered, grabbing the two hands of her unconscious teammates, claiming that she wouldn't let anyone get near them and bring them harm. Nobody understood her reasoning, but Sakura was not going to let anyone -including her own mentor- take away the two most important people in her life like that. Much less if they didn't understand what Naruto and Sasuke went through to solve their issues.

And so, Kakashi stepped in, took a hold of the three children he attempted to raise, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. What happened after that is not to the boys' knowledge, for the only persons who were awake were Sakura and Kakashi and they successfully, somehow, convinced the authorities to let them rebuild their team while hiding from the public eye. The whole purpose of this exercise was to measure Sasuke's accountability and loyalty to his former village, as he was better off as a compromising ally than an enemy. The Kages did not trust him, but it is all up to Kakashi's judgement since he is holding the future of Konoha.

And after crossing borders, looking for hidden gems that would help them find meaning in their lives, they find themselves in this small hut in the Land of Lightning with a newborn baby and his mother.

The baby is only a few hours old, but Kakashi knows that their time is up in this place. Naruto, similarly, is eager to continue finding what else the world has to offer.

"Next time we visit them I will bring the little guy all the toys I can find!" He exclaims while packing his bag.

Sasuke is still silent from last night. After his brief conversation and bonding moment with Sakura, he has retrieved back into his calm demeanour. He looks over at his female teammate, whose hair has grown a couple of inches in the past month and now gives her a nicer frame to her pretty face. She is sitting near the basket where the baby is sleeping, her eyes solely concentrated on the little bundle, but not exactly looking at it.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. You need to pack your stuff too," Naruto continues.

The girl lifts her head to look at her blond teammate and gives him a small. Sasuke recognises it as one of her most effective defense mechanisms against Naruto.

"I will in a second."

But Sasuke can tell that she's hiding something.

Kakashi enters the room, a book in his hand and an bitten apple in another. The three former students look up at their teacher, eager to see whether he will take another bite at the fruit and finally show them his face.

"What's troubling you, Sakura?" He asks, and Sasuke feels a tinge of jealousy and regret for not being the one asking that question.

He and Naruto look back at their teammate, whose demeanour shows that she is building walls around her interior. Sasuke cannot recall seeing her act like this in the past.

"The baby's just a day old, and the mother will need help for the first months."

"You can't be serious," Sasuke finds himself muttering.

"So I was thinking that it would be good if I were to stay behind for a bit to look after them. She doesn't have anyone else who can help her, and the closest hospital is a long walk." The excuses coming out of her mouth are like poison to Sasuke's ears. She wants to stay to help a woman she barely knows, leaving behind all the great accomplishments she has achieved alone and with her teammates. She expects him to walk away from here without feeling the hollow pain on his chest at the prospect of not seeing her for a while.

Sakura's lying. She doesn't want to stay because of the baby and his mother. There is another completely unrelated reason to that. And Sasuke wants to know it why she is hiding it. For someone who is so used to showing all her emotions, Sakura is acting as a retreating individual who has gone through much more than she has said.

It reminds him a bit of how withdrawn he felt after finding out about Itachi.

He doesn't like seeing Sakura like that.

"Wait, but are you saying you don't wanna keep going with us?" Naruto presses. He drops whatever he is doing -Sasuke doesn't pay attention to that- and rushes to Sakura's side, grabs her by the shoulders, and begins to shake her.

Soon enough, a deep purple bruise is producing on the knucklehead's cheek after Sakura punches him. Back to normalcy. Back to building those walls around her.

Heck, it's as if Sasuke's defense mechanism was puny compared to her intricately designed one.

He wishes he could say something right then and there.

"Sakura-chan, what's the point of travelling to rebuild our team if you don't wanna come?" Naruto continues. He has this manner of talking that convinces people. Sasuke still feels a little uncomfortable thinking of all the wrongs he has turned away from thanks to his friend.

"I can't leave her alone," Sakura says with a plea in her eyes that unsettles her teammates. She quickly changes her expression, dismissing herself from the room, leaving the boys behind.

She needs to breathe, far away from both of them, before she loses her mind again. It is really difficult trying to keep her composure up, and she has been great at it until the baby was born. Something deep inside of her, the reminder of the past, broke away and opened her mind to flashbacks of the war, of raw emotions she does not want to revisit, of touches that were never meant to happen.

Sakura exits the small hut, passing by the baby's mother and Kakashi without telling them where she goes. She does not need to; whether her decision to stay behind actually takes effect or not, she will have to come back anyway.

Her feet take her to the main street of the town. People are still looking for leftovers in rundown buildings, and some children are huddled together in a corner. Though her eyes have seen war and death countless times, this atmosphere of hopelessness is what still gives her nightmares at night. This hopelessness of finding happiness.

It's a clear sign that the right side won, but the decisions they must take to change this town's future are what count. The world isn't as black and white as she thought it was three years ago. People don't kill because they are evil and selfish; they may kill because there is no other option but to eliminate loved ones for the sake of a greater population. Finding alliances does not mean the end of rivalries and age-old grudges. It may just spark more hatred between groups who are trying to bring good into the world.

Sakura may be disconnected from the political world for a while now, but she can sense that tensions are building back up again between the villages and that the bonds created during the Fourth Shinobi War may disappear at any second. Now that team 7 is internationally known as arguably the most powerful group in the world, other villages and countries are uneasy about Konoha's status. Giving the village too much power may cause more rivalries, but keeping them in line may be ineffective for their shinobi are the strongest.

She laughs to herself as a headache appears. She cannot remember the last time she felt her mind stressed out about the sociopolitical conditions of her home.

Maybe staying here isn't such a bad idea.

"I know you're there, Sasuke-kun. You don't need to walk so far behind."

She turns around in the middle of the main street and faces her teammate. His mismatched eyes connect with hers. Sakura slowly grew used to seeing Sasuke's Rinnegan and black eyes, still recalling the few times they ever held visual contact during their younger days.

His cloak is draped around his shoulders already, his bandana around his forehead in place. Since they began their wandering, none of them have worn their hitai-ate with the intention of being discreet. The irony of Sasuke wearing something around his head while the others don't always reminds Sakura of the irony of their situation. They are briefly betraying their village by not showing where they come from, yet Sasuke isn't afraid to wrap a simple cloth and make Sakura's head symbolize it as his union to team 7.

He is ready to leave, that much she can tell. A part of her is amazed that Sasuke is the one to come look for her.

But then again, last night's event did happen and the raw touch of his fingers on her cheeks still burn under the seal on her forehead.

"Come with us," he says.

"She needs my help," Sakura insists, though she knows from the beginning that it is a losing battle.

It always is with Sasuke.

"If something happens to Naruto while you're absent and you cannot make it on time, you will regret it even more."

True, but still.

"Kakashi won't be able to control the two of us," Sasuke continues.

And it's not like her favourite past time is to cure her friends after they engage in combat.

"He is the future Hokage," Sakura defends. "He could take this as his training. If he can't learn to finally keep you and Naruto from killing each other then he succeeds."

The irony is that Kakashi-sensei has been trying to do that for years now.

Sasuke knows that convincing her to leave with them takes more effort than using his teammates as excuses. He's not ready to open up yet, though. He still needs to figure out how his quickened heartbeat relates to his need of Sakura's presence. Sasuke feels slightly pathetic. At one point he called himself the most powerful ninja of his time, yet the girl standing in front of him can easily turn it all around because she is not willing to open herself up. Yes, even after all the times she tried so hard to make him feel in the past.

For Sasuke, it is all time he put to waste. All the times he could have avoided pain if it were for her presence.

He doesn't change his demeanour. Sakura cannot see him turn down his own defenses like last night. Vulnerability can only be carried by one person at a time.

"Come with me."

Come to me. Heal me. Help me. That is all he wants to say, but the words don't make it to his mouth.

Instead, Sakura takes a few steps forward until she is close enough to wrap her arms around his. The hug is brief, for she separates from Sasuke, nods, and begins to walk back towards the woman's hut. When did it become so common for her to be affectionate like this without him having to push her ten miles away?

Sasuke is left standing on the same place. Funny how he feels more comfortable saying why Naruto and Kakashi need Sakura with them, but that he can't say any more than three words when it comes to his own reasoning. He tells himself that he will lend his female teammate his cloak if she feels cold at night. That action would hint what Sasuke truly means when he says he wants Sakura to come with him.

Sakura is glad to be walking alone in that moment. The cold breeze is giving her chills on her uncovered arms, but she welcomes the feeling because it reminds her that she is still alive and in one piece. And that Sasuke isn't as unaffected by others as he pretends to be. This last while has shown Sakura that her teammate has a particular way of showing that he cares about others.

He never says it directly, but she can tell that he is thankful to be back with team 7. This team building exercise may be more effective that it is supposed to be. And the best part is that they have not been stopped by any authorities yet.

She welcomes the peace and quietness of this time apart from Konoha, because she knows that once they return they will have to face reality. And reality isn't necessarily fair with her.

It only took Sasuke three words to convince her that team 7 is where she belongs. All that coming from the guy who vowed to burn all bonds.

Well, there is a bond she is sure he will never break.

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><p><em>I'm... on a roll. Rolling in the deep. Don't stop me now.<em>

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_


	3. Ruins

**Ruins**

"Guys, can we go here next?"

Naruto points at a small island off the coast of the Land of Fire. The other three huddle around and look at where he is marking.

"That's where Uzushiogakure used to be," Kakashi says.

"Uzushio?" asks Sakura, looking at her blond teammate with a raised eyebrow.

"That's where my mom is from," he explains grinning.

They are sitting in the corner of an unknown tavern, located on one of the many ports of the Land of Lightning. After leaving the impoverished town behind, they set out to find the next small village location to restock on their supplies. This port is one of the lesser knowns of the Land of Lightning; knowing the Raikage's opinion of Sasuke, he would not be very happy knowing that he is wandering about with team 7 near his village. Nonetheless, team 7 maintains discretion when moving from one place to another, and no deportation complaints have appeared yet.

"I never knew your mom was from another village," Sakura says before taking a sip of her drink.

Sasuke notices how her shoulders are not as tense as they were back in the last town they visited. Departing from the newborn and his mother was a hard hit for Sakura, but she appears to be faring much better now. It seems that reminding herself to look forward to the future is the same mechanism Sasuke uses when he needs to forget about the past.

The sound of pelicans from outside get his attention before Sakura notices him looking at her.

"Yeah, she moved to Konoha when she was really young. It's a long story."

Naruto looks down at his hands. He has never told Sakura and Sasuke sbout his first and last conversation with his mother, and hasn't felt ready for it yet. He is just happy to have his family back together without the fear of losing them again. It gives him happiness to wake up everyday looking at his teammates' faces, to fall asleep thinking that tomorrow is another day to explore the world. He is never going to get another break like this, no matter how compromising the consequences are.

But he still knows that going back to Konoha is his final destination. He needs to deliver a message to a certain someone.

"The next ship leaves in half an hour," the bartender announces, overhearing their conversation.

Kakashi stands up from his seat, puts a few bills down, and grabs his travelling bag. "Let's get going then."

The other three imitate their former teacher and wave goodbye to the bartender. Having a filling breakfast is one of the things they all miss, and Kakashi is nice enough to still treat them as children and pay for their meals when he is in a good mood.

They approach the departing ship, a large steam powered machine where not many passengers are boarding. Not many people go where Uzushio used to be, but there are still small fishing companies who go that far away to catch. Once they are already settled in their small cabin, which comes with two litters and a small window facing out to the ocean, Naruto takes the map again.

"How long do you think it will take, Kakashi-sensei?" he asks.

"Probably a day."

Naruto smiles with excitement. Sakura remembers the many times she has thought about her teammate as a small child who is looking forward to his birthday and all the presents he will get. She, Naruto and Sasuke have found ways of disguising their pain through different emotions. The three of them know that these small moments of happiness, whether fake or real, are what will remain intact in their memory.

Naruto is an expert in concealing his pain; Sasuke is practically known for all the suffering he had gone through in his short life; but Sakura has yet to open up about her own share. Perhaps that is why she does not press Naruto for more information on his mother's origins or how he knows about them.

When the ship sails, the three Second Sannin go to the deck and lean on the borders to watch how the water breaks as they move. They watch as dolphins swim on the same direction as them and even jump out before diving as a greeting. The clear blue morning sky promises them good weather, something that Sakura is grateful of having in spite of her hatred towards sea sickness.

She holds on to the railings with a tight grip, concentrating chakra on her stomach to avoid vomiting. However, her activity is interrupted when the boat hits a larger wave and causes them to lose balance. She moves sideways and ends up hitting Sasuke in the shoulder before tripping on her feet and almost falling. Her back doesn't hit the ground, though, for the feels an arm wrapped around her trying to keep her in place.

Sakura looks up to see Sasuke's face close to hers. It almost feels like deja-vu; the desert and Obito are only thing missing from the picture. She breaks eye contact with her teammate, feeling a small blush appear on her cheek as she regains balance.

Sasuke doesn't say anything as he helps her back on her steady feet. Always the one to save his words, Sakura thinks.

She readjusts her cape to keep the breeze from chilling her skin. Sailing has definitely never been one of her favourite activities. Her eyes avert to Naruto and she recognizes the challenging expression in her face. She would have to get Kakashi sooner than later.

"What if we just run to the island?" Naruto proposes, much like Sakura thought he was going to. "It might be faster."

"You wouldn't make it there before sundown," Sasuke says.

Naruto looks at his best friend. "And would _you?_ I don't think so. See you!"

With that final statement, the blond jumps into the water, and Sakura sees how her other teammate follows suit, silently accepting the challenge. The two boys begin to run one beside each other, clearly trying to see who would get there first, and they gradually turn into a blur. Sakura sighs in defeat, thinking that some things never changed. But she felt her heart warm up seeing her two teammates engage in a healthy -and clearly not destructive- competition.

Not long after, she and Kakashi are following the other two. They catch up in speed quite easily; during their time wandering around, Sakura was able to exceed in her speed with the help of Naruto and, to a lesser extent, Sasuke. If she was meant to be part of the Second Sannin and an array of other honorary titles, she needed to keep up with her two teammates.

Kakashi, on the other hand, is still able to hold the same stamina as the three teenagers in spite of his older age.

And it has never felt so good. So free.

To run in the water, accompanied by the three people she values the most, is a memory Sakura hopes that never fades. She catches up to Sasuke, who looks at her in surprise with her ability to run as fast as him.

They were no longer children talking about their dreams. Sakura is finally the person she wished to become when she was twelve and protected. In spite of the hidden dark memories she has to mask from her teammates, she is finally satisfied with her life.

* * *

><p>After running for what feels like an eternity, Sasuke and Naruto make it to the Land of Whirlwinds at the same time, with Sakura and Kakashi arriving shortly after them. The four look at the mountainous geography, seeing no signs of life from where they are standing. The shore of the island was covered in dark sand, and the water was finally returning to its calm state after the arrival of the four shinobi.<p>

"Let's go explore, then," Sakura proposes, taking a step to the front.

Sasuke is the last one to follow. He prefers to have Naruto and Kakashi lead, while Sakura is a few steps behind them and ahead of him. That way, he can keep an eye on her without being noticed. Her pink hair has grown past her shoulder blades at this point, and Sakura often lets it out freely, letting it frame her face without her forehead protector on. It is when Sasuke likes to see her the most. Without the symbol of their village, Sakura looks untouched, as if one with nature.

"I think that it will be dark when we reach Uzushio, so we can camp in there," Naruto comments, looking at the map and then at the path in front of them.

"Naruto, you know that we will only find ruins, right?" Sakura says, her tone weary.

Perhaps she does not want their blond teammate to get too disappointed when they arrive at their destination. Sasuke thinks of the many times Sakura has shown the same caution to keep everyone on check. She is, essentially, the smartest one of the three. Sasuke would never admit it out loud, but Sakura is the only one who appears to have a sane head on her shoulders.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun."

Her voice says his name and he snaps out of his thoughts. Sasuke finds her with an extended hand, an invitation to join her. He doesn't take it, and instead takes enough steps until they are walking side by side with the other two in front. Kakashi and Naruto are too immersed in the landscape to notice the small interaction between him and her.

"Do you think he will be disappointed?" he asks.

"I'm afraid he will be. He knows that Uzushio is just ruins, but that is where his mother is from. Weren't you disappointed when we told you that your old home was destroyed and never rebuilt?"

It is a bold question, but Sakura is no longer afraid of asking anything in relation to her teammate's past. He is no longer masking his pain like before. Instead, he talks without feeling in his voices. But he talks about it, and that is a significant step towards acceptance.

"They were just empty houses. Just things. It was nothing permanent," Sasuke replies after a pause.

And his words are true. When he was informed of Konoha's invasion and destruction, it was as if his physical attachment to the village had been eliminated. It meant that he literally had no home to return to. What comes from Konoha and really count in Sasuke's life are standing not far away from him, reminding him that he is still a human.

"That's what I thought about the Medical camps during the war. They were tents set up to save lives, but at the end of the day, the materialist side of them was nothing compared to the meaning it gave to the Medical Corps. We could have done the job with or without them."

"And you ended up saving more lives in the battlefield than in the camp, I presume."

"You're right," Sakura chuckles and it's like music to his ears. "But even the forehead protectors we wear are impermanent."

"Is that why you don't wear it anymore?"

Sasuke wonders what changed Sakura from the innocent girl he knew in his gennin days to this young woman who spoke with wisdom beyond her years. He has a justification for his own maturity; growing up alone means becoming an adult before acting like a child. But Sakura... Sakura is still a riddle in his mind that he is trying to solve.

"Precisely," Sakura answers. "The symbol does not mean that we are loyal to our village or the Shinobi Alliance. It is our actions that make us loyal to what we cherish and want to protect. I guess that's why I choose not to give sentimental meaning to things. I prefer the sense of belonging that appears and becomes permanent when we find what we are looking for."

"What are you trying to imply?"

"That you have a home whether it's under a roof or under the skies, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura smiles at his teammate. It's that same smile she gives to Naruto and Kakashi, he notes. The one that shows them they have a family even though they are alone in the world. It shows that, together, they could get through anything.

To Sasuke, that smile is what he considers his home.

Then sunset is giving out rays of orange when they arrive. The ruins of Uzushiogakure are evidence that, once upon a time, a great and respectable village stood in this place. Now what remains are destroyed pillars and homes along a river. The infrastructure has been assimilated to the forest surrounding it by the vines that run along the ruins, and it seems as if they have discovered a civilization that has been absent for centuries.

"This is..." Naruto begins, but his mind cannot find the right words as he runs his hand through the symbol of his clan on a destroyed building.

Amid all the rubble, they find accommodation under the roof of a house that was missing two walls. It gives them the right angle to look out into the destroyed village, to take in the sounds and how nature has reclaimed its territory. The sky is already dark, the stars and moon the only source of light. Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura are already in their sleeping bags, recovering for another day of exploring.

But Naruto is sitting with his legs criss-crossed, looking at every piece of rubble his eyes could recognize. Everything is engraved with the Uzumaki symbol, much like his own clothing. This is where his Mom lived before Konoha, and where his ancestors built a village that was eventually consumed by its own inhabitants.

Though he only met Uzumaki Kushina once, got to hug her briefly, Naruto has never felt closer to the woman who gave him life than in this moment.

* * *

><p>When he wakes up the next day, he finds that Sakura is missing from the shelter they found last night. Naruto and Kakashi are still sleeping, and Sasuke predicts that it is still too early to wake them up.<p>

Sasuke gets off his sleeping bag and leaves the other two. After concentrating, he finds Sakura's chakra signature by the river they had passed the day before. Sasuke heads out towards that direction with light footsteps. Uzushiogakure is only ruins, but he needs to maintain discretion when showing respect to a place that once thrived with residents and a culture.

At least that is how he would act if he was walking around his clan's district.

He finds Sakura in the river. She is facing away from him, with her legs submerged in water while she is cleaning her arms. It seems that she wants to maintain discrepancy while the other sleep and she gets to clean herself, but Sasuke notices the way her shoulders are slightly trembling and the way her hands move up to wipe away something on her face.

Sakura turns around surprised at finding her teammate. Sasuke is looking at her with piercing eyes, as if trying to figure out what she is doing. She shakes her head while tears continue falling down her face.

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asks.

He's suspecting something. Sakura's shoulders stop trembling and tense up, aware of his presence hovering hers. She isn't afraid of him, though. She is afraid of regretting to let herself be seen.

Sakura has always been good at concealing the things she doesn't want to remember from Naruto and Kakashi. Sure, in the past, she was never able to hide her feelings towards Sasuke and her preoccupation with her friends' conditions during the war. But there are things that she vowed to never speak of agaon. Things that, if they got out, they would crumble her sanity and make her feel once again weak. And that is the last thing she wants.

"Sakura."

But sometimes, especially now that the war is over and she is not in a constant state of tension and alert, she lets herself go. Sakura always hides this from her friends, afraid of what they will think of her. Sasuke is the only one who has noticed, perhaps because he has not grown accustomed to her false state of peacefulness.

"It's nothing," she excuses herself, getting out of the river.

Her feet are bare, and she walks up to pick up her boots. Sasuke does not say anything else, but rather gets closer and grabs her boots before she is able to. She looks at her teammate, eyes swollen.

"It's nothing," she repeats, but her words sound unconvincing.

She feels a set of arms wrap around her back, giving her warmth from the chills that came after getting out of the river. It's nothing, she wants to say again. He should let go of her before she gets any worse. Sasuke is probably annoyed by how much she cries at this point. With the way he has changed since his last fight with Naruto, Sakura feels that he is making an effort to act more human, and that is what perhaps justifies this action. Keeping some distance from him is her best choice.

But instead, she remains in his arms, her face buried in his chest as she weeps for something he doesn't know. It is odd, to be comforted by the person who has brought so much pain into her life, but who, this time, wasn't the one to hurt her.

Deep down, Sakura is happy that Sasuke isn't willing to let go of her.

* * *

><p><em>Just going with the flow o'er here. I'm surprised that people like to read this! Let me know if someone is getting too OOC please ;)<em>

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_


	4. Dignity

**Dignity**

Sakura remembers her last confession to Sasuke. She remembers giving her heart all out and desperately trying to reach a soul that, in that time, was too confused and consumed by darkness to see the good of the world. She cannot forget the illusion he set her in, which showed her memories of her younger years in the academy and with team 7.

Nevertheless, after waking up from the genjutsu and seeing that their fight was over, Sakura understood that her male teammates' issues had to be resolved without her and Kakashi's assistance. She isn't angry that they did not include her; the weeks that followed their final battle have brought the four closer than ever before and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She hasn't mentioned her feelings again, though, choosing to live freely without the fear of tainting her relationship with her team. A part of her hasn't forgiven Sasuke yet, seeing as he's the reason why she was stuck in an illusion and consequently left out of their last battle. But after seeing him struggle with his sight, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her teammate. Sasuke has paid the price of destruction by sacrificing the sense most important to his clan. Although she hasn't forgiven him, Sakura's heart still clenches when she sees him struggle with his sight.

She indirectly helps him with little things, such as reading signs out loud, without Naruto nor Kakashi paying attention to his deteriorating eyes. For example, on their way back to the destroyed home they had taken for shelter in the ruins of Uzushio, she takes Sasuke's hand and wraps it around her arm to guide him. The pebbles on the ground could be dangerous, she thinks. Sasuke would not want his old sensei and best friend to see him trip over small meaningless stones, not after showing how powerful he truly is.

Sasuke doesn't say thank you when Sakura lends him help. Instead, he chooses to show his gratitude through actions. By giving her the largest portions, or being an attentive ear when Sakura has those moments on reflecting their lives, is how he prefers to pay her back. No one ever said that relationships had to be built on words; doing little favours is just as effective.

Not to mention that he feels more complete when Sakura helps him. His blurring eyes are getting worse by the day, and he hasn't paid attention to its damage in years. Thinking about revenge always took priority for him; everything else came second. Besides, when his eyes are engaged in the Sharingan or Rinnegan, whatever loss in sight he suffers from disappears. He knows how damaging it is to keep his kekkei genkai constantly on.

"Careful with your step," Sakura says as Sasuke almost stumbles on a root shooting up from the ground.

Luckily, Kakashi and Naruto are still too far away to notice his mistake. Sasuke grunts in dissatisfaction at not being able to notice the fine details on his surroundings. Is this his prime? If he were to lose sight in his eye, would that make him weaker? He wonders if he could still manifest his family's kekkei genkai if he were blind, and how much his power would be affected by his carelessness.

"Sasuke-kun, I think it's time we start looking at your eyes," she continues.

"I can still see," Sasuke insists, taking another step tentatively.

What Sakura doesn't know is the fear of losing his eyes. Sasuke still feels apprehensive about altering the only physical thing he has left of his brother. Itachi is seeing the world through his eyes right now; he and Sasuke see the same things, even though one is living and the other is resting. Touching Itachi's eyes, in Sasuke's mind, is almost like invading his most sacred place.

But looking at Sakura's face with the same detail as before, to make out her furrowed brow or warm smiles from a close distance and from far away, that is something he would be willing to sacrifice for. He feels the warmth of her chakra come in contact with his eyes for a brief moment, as if to diagnose the damage of year of exertion have brought. Sasuke thinks back on how Sakura's hands symbolize birth and life to him.

A part of him wishes to have the same ability as her. After years of death and destruction on his bloodstained hands, Sasuke wonders if the gods would be willing to grant him a place near Sakura, who is the personification of all things alive in his world.

Right now, it is as if the crying Sakura from earlier on is masked by her medical self. She sits him down on one of the countless destroyed pillars of Uzushio, and kneels in front of him. Sasuke's hands are by his side; he can feel the whirlwinds engraved under his fingertips. From this distance, he notices that his teammate's face is no longer covered in trails of tears.

"Look at my hand and try to copy it."

Sakura gathers green chakra on her fingertips, letting out a glow that is visible enough for Sasuke to notice. Then, she does the same with her opposite hand. Sakura gestures him to imitate, and Sasuke begins to concentrate chakra on his own hand, trying to let out the same green glow as hers.

He feels the energy, but nothing glows.

"Try it again. Concentrate your chakra around your fingertips," Sakura instructs patiently.

Sasuke closes his eyes, feeling the chakra within his system travelling from his points into his digits. The warm glow that follows is a sign that he is making progress, and Sakura's eager voice tells him to continue, but as soon as he opens his eyes, he sees that his hand is surrounded by the same electric waves that create his Chidori. Perplexed, he withdraws the chakra from his hand, stands up, and turns around.

"This is stupid," he mutters under his breath, realizing what a foolish idea it is to try and be like her. There is no way he could learn to use his chakra to save his sight. He has only existed with the purpose of revenge.

"Don't give up so easily," her voice insists.

Sakura, realizing his intentions, grabs his shoulder and spins him until they are facing one another. She lifts her free hand, its palm facing him. She begins to gather chakra in each fingertip interchangeably, showing Sasuke that controlling her energy in such small amounts is not a difficult task after all. To Sasuke, though, it acts as a taunting way of showing how she is capable of being the embodiment of everything he wants with so much simplicity that it hurts.

"Sasuke-kun, your elements are lightning and fire, but you had the seal that helped you defeat Kaguya," Sakura begins. "You're too used to working with your natural elements. Think about the seal you got in your last fight. And please, don't give up so easily."

She sounds like a teacher.

"You've always had the best chakra control out of the three of us," Sasuke says.

If his voice was not so monotone in that moment, Sakura might have thought that he is either complimenting her or giving excuses to dismiss this exercise. She decides to take it as the second reason for the sake of her emotions.

"Yet here you are standing, after fighting the progenitor of all chakra. If I can do it, _you_ can do it too."

Sasuke wonders how much baggage Sakura must be carrying if in her shoulders, and how much she conceals from everyone else. It takes true craftsmanship to be as encouraging as she is while hiding what is really killing her on the inside. A part of him feels... hurt -betrayed, even- to be left out of her state. He has given her several reasons to remain distrustful in the past, but the Sakura she is and the Sasuke he is now are supposed to be past that.

She is supposed to open up, like she always has.

"What happened?" he asks, catching her off guard.

Sakura, who was still playing with her chakra on her fingertips, flinches at hearing his question. It's clear, even to his blinding eyes, that her walls are slowly crumbling down.

"You haven't practiced yet," she replies with a warm smile.

Bullshit.

"We can leave the practice aside. It's not important."

"But your sight-"

"You're hiding something," Sasuke interrupts, taking a step forward.

He cannot remember the last time he has been this close to Sakura, other than when he consoles her, and to be able to recognize all of her features without blurred lines.

Sakura smiles again. It's that fake smile again. The one he doesn't look forward to seeing on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she counters.

Discreetly, she takes a step back as he moves closer. Sasuke is towering over her at this point, her nose reaching his chin. Her heartbeat picks up, but she tries to mask it by continuing to play with her hands. Sasuke cannot know. He would not look at her the same way. Their team has made so much progress from the end of the war until now. The four of them are all equals (though Kakashi does have the element of political power over their decisions).

And what Sakura is afraid of the most is to be seen as someone who needs protection once again. She has worked tirelessly for the past years to take a step forward and tell her boys to watch her back.

Sasuke cannot find out about it. Nobody can.

After all, it's done. It cannot be taken back. He wouldn't know how to handle it. Even after all the pain his life has brought on his shoulders, Sasuke still does not know how to cope with the hardships that come with his destiny. Sakura fears of the consequences of him finding out. She fears that he... that he...

"You cannot lie to me," he cuts in to her thoughts.

Sakura notices that Sasuke's left eye is back to its normal black and wonders if he can switch back and forth between the Sharingan and Rinnegan as she can flick chakra from one part of her body to another with accurate control.

They remain in silence for a moment. She needs to distract her mind, to sort out her thoughts, before she can talk again. The growing lump on her throat gives the threat of tears, something she cannot afford in that moment. She cannot be seen crying again.

Kunoichi are taught to always conceal their emotions due to the sorts of missions they are sent to, Sakura reminds herself. This is no different than that last time. Hiding her emotions is a task she enforces herself whenever that memory is involved. It is an ongoing mission that keeps her dignity in check. If it isn't for the sake of her beloved team 7, then it's for the future of the Shinobi Alliance.

"We will continue our practice later. I promise to teach you how to use your chakra like a medic. Maybe not one as good as me, but you'll have to wait until next time."

Sakura does not know what brings her to poke her two fingers on Sasuke's forehead. It's a gesture he has done with her in the past, and she guesses that it's his own subliminal manner of showing minimal affection, but she is quite thankful that it leaves him planted where he is standing while she is able to make her way back to Naruto and Kakashi.

So much for trying to help the visually challenged, she thinks bitterly.

* * *

><p>Kakashi feels like he knows his former students as if they were his own children. He sees the way they interact, the way Naruto speaks energetically about the plans he has set for discovering Uzushio while Sasuke and Sakura listen intently. Their undivided attention, Kakashi ends up concluding, comes from being so many years apart from one another. Naruto cannot be any happier of having his family back together, and to be discovering -and revisiting- some of the places that mean the most to him.<p>

He senses that Sasuke's chakra is no longer so cold and dark. Instead, Kakashi can always finds the little ways that his prodigious student tries to act more humanly towards people. Sasuke always serves his own portion last, while giving Sakura a larger piece of their dinner. He still engages in challenges with Naruto, but fortunately they no longer indicate destroying half of the habitat surrounding them.

Kakashi sees how his four-man (or rather, one-man, one-girl, and two-boy) team is truly one of the most powerful in the Shinobi world. If the conditions were different, he believes that Konoha would build a statue in their honour. His pride always surfaces on his chest when he sees the three children he failed in raising act like the appropriate ninjas they were born to be.

Sakura's progress, probably the most difficult, is the one he prefers to reflect on. While her two teammates were destined for greatness and strength from before they were born, Sakura had to work her way up with her own hard work. Aside from her natural intelligence and acute chakra control, Sakura could have easily blended in with the rest of the average Konoha kuniochi. But she made a name for herself, and the one thing Kakashi will always regret is his lack of participation in building such a strong shinobi.

That, and the fact that he can read her like an open book, could not hide her secrets from his concern. Unlike Naruto and Sasuke, Kakashi knows why Sakura is masking herself so much around her teammates. Her wish is finally granted; she is with her precious people after countless chances of losing them, and wishes to cherish every moment like it is their last. Kakashi cannot bring himself to ruin her happiness by bringing up the thing that could crush her spirits.

His sleep is still invaded by how destroyed she looked after she confessed what she had been hiding since the end of the war. He guesses that the wound is still fresh, and that due to the constant state of urgency everyone had during the way, she could easily hide that pain.

He still worries that it will destroy her from the inside.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto calls him from a few feet away. He is joined by Sasuke and Sakura, who look back at their old teacher curiously. Their discovery of the ruins of Uzushiogakure has just begun. "You got lost on the path of life again?"

The memory of his students' younger faces looking at him bitterly parallels with the same faces his eyes are staring at. Naruto still remains his contagious, cheeky, fox-like grin. Sasuke's handsome face, on the other hand, shows that he has dealt with a great deal of pain in the past. And Sakura. Oh, Sakura. Whoever crosses her path will regret upsetting such an innocent, beautiful looking woman.

"Something like that," he responds, scratching the back of his gray head. "I was just thinking that Sakura would be the best teacher out of the three of you."

"What!? Why would you say that, sensei?"

Naruto's question is met by the loud smack of Sakura's hand on the back of his head.

"I'm offended by that, Naruto!"

Sasuke just rolls his eyes.

The future Hokage swears that he has been thrown back to six years ago when he first met his team. My, time flies.

"But I would be a really good teacher too! I might not have been the best-

"Or the brightest," Sakura said under her breath.

"-Or the most disciplined in the academy, but I surely know how to handle any type of student!"

"Now, now, this is only my opinion," Kakashi tries to jump in the discussion to no avail.

"So you think I don't know how to handle hard cases?" Sakura inquires, getting her fist ready to land on her teammate's head once again.

"Sakura-chan would be an awesome teacher, yes, but what if she gets too pissed off at an asshole student like _you,_" Naruto's index finger is pointing at a stoic Sasuke, "and decided to lose her shit and cause the worst earthquake of all mankind!?"

"She's the only patient one to deal with knuckleheads like you," Sasuke comments.

Kakashi catches the brief exchange between his and Sakura's eyes. Then he sees the slight blush that appears on his female student's cheeks, and how Sasuke averts his eyes away. Fortunately masking his slight smile, Kakashi thinks of how some things in his team have changed since the war ended.

And how some things are still the same.

* * *

><p><strong>Here I am, cuddling to my pillow with my heart threatening to spill some tears because NARUTO IS ENDING.<strong>

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and support, kiddies! I'm writing from the bottom of my heart, with my mind set on having team 7 visit all the places that have meant something to them before going back to Konoha (and also Sasuke realizing that yes, he loves Sakura, mwahah).**

**I really liked adding Kakashi's perspective in the mix. After all, he is like a father to the three of them and knows them pretty well. Sakura couldn't even hide from him, eh? Also, what do you think that happened to Sakura? I hope that people will not get mad at me when I reveal it, as I might have to change the rating. **

**Nonetheless, enjoy your last while before the waiting is over and we all crawl into our beds to cry for many nights. Naruto has meant a lot to me growing up; it means almost as much as Harry Potter. Both stories have helped me cope with extreme changes in the past. My love for Naruto is as old as the years I've spent living away from my homeland. (Heck, I already have an HP themed tattoo and am getting a Naruto one before the year ends).**

**Never give up, folks! It's our ninja way ;)**

**Sincerely,**

**MSM**

**PD: Florence + The Machine is a great inspiration while writing this. Maybe you should listen to some of her tracks while reading Delivery!**


	5. Memento

**Memento**

The sight before Sakura's eyes is something her younger self would have never imagined.

They are taking a break on their way to their next destination, sitting under a large oak tree. Kakashi reads his novel, as usual. Sasuke sharpens his weapons, also as usual. But Naruto is immersed in a scroll in front of him, studying every word written on the ancient paper and trying to memorize it. She repeats the word in her brain. Naruto is _studying._

Out of all the things Sakura has seen in her life, she never once thought that there would come a day when her knucklehead teammate would sit his hyperactive self down, cross his legs, and spread a document on his lap with the intention of _learning_ like a normal student. Her mind repeats that word _-learning-_ and it feels...

"This is strange," the comment slips from her lips before she catches herself.

"Agreed," Sasuke provides. They both connect eyes for a second and then look at their teammate.

Kakashi looks up from his novel at his two former students, then looks at his third one, and nods. "It is indeed."

Their calm, curious interaction is met with the sound of rustling leaves. The three stare at their miraculously quiet companion, wondering when he was going to notice.

Naruto is immersed in the scrolls he found back in Uzushio. He is aware of his clan's expertise in seals and wanted to learn more about it. His teammates did not realize the determination behind getting acquainted with his clan's ancient techniques until they saw him sit down under the oak tree and take out a long paper engraved with his clan's symbol on its borders. According to his logic, ff Sasuke knew about his clan's secrets and their legacy, then Naruto had as much entitlement learn about his too. He never knew his origins past his mom and dad.

"What's so weird?" he finally asks after five minutes of silence.

Naruto finds his family looking back at him with tilted heads, as if they are trying to figure out something he cannot understand. He goes back to analyse the scroll in front of him, and after he finishes, he looks up again to see them with the same expression.

"Okay, guys. What the hell's going on?"

"You're studying."

His brow twitches at Sasuke's answer. Naruto feels embarrassment grow on his face and the back of his neck heats up. So what if he is studying? He wants to know more about his ancestors!

"What? Never seen someone study before 'ttebayo? Man, you must be really stupid," he defends, putting the scroll away in his traveling bag.

He makes a motion to grab a different one until Sakura's voice catches him. "You're gonna keep studying?"

"Not you too, Sakura-chan!"

"It's so weird!" she expresses, sitting beside Sasuke. "You've never been patient enough to read for more than five seconds!"

Yet he's still one of the strongest shinobi alive, her mind sets the counterargument, the sun half that dispelled the Infinite Tsukiyomi.

"Well," Naruto begins, "well, I just- I want to know about the Uzumaki clan! They had a lot of kick-ass seals and the world needs to see them again dattebayo!"

"You're still as thick as ever," Sasuke says and Sakura nudges his shoulder in disapproval. She already knows where this is going to lead them.

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"You heard."

"Stand up and take that back, you bastard!"

Sakura can see how her two boys are setting themselves up for one of their many spars. She cannot help but sigh in defeat. All because she let out one comment before she could catch her words. If she wants to keep her thoughts in check, she needs to think before speaking.

Still, seeing Naruto and Sasuke bicker like this is probably one of her favourite pastimes.

Kakashi closes his book and looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "And this is why I think you'd make a great teacher," he says ironically.

"I know you're always rooting for me, sensei."

After Naruto and Sasuke's sparring was cut short due to Kakashi's patience running thin, the four head towards the coast of the Land of Whirlpool, sit in a circle, and take out the world map. Sakura pays attention to all the places they have already visited. The Land of Earth and Lightning have a large tick mark on them; those were the two places they decided to explore when their impromptu journey started.

Now they have the Land of Wind, Water, and Fire to tackle, as well as the smaller nations. She thinks about the places she would like to see, what would be meaningful to her like Uzushio is to Naruto, but her eyes cannot leave the symbol of her village. She misses her parents and friends; being away from them without keeping in touch is surely driving her mom and dad crazy, but she has her other family to attend to.

Sakura's eyes settle on Naruto and Sasuke, two orphans who fought to make a family of their own while hers is still peacefully alive. The hollow pain in her heart reaches for her boys for they know pain too. A different type of pain, yes, but one that they manage to endure. She wishes she could endure hers, or even forget it.

Sasuke feels her eyes on him and looks up to find that same expression in Sakura's face he has become acquainted with. She is thinking about _it,_ it being whatever she is keeping away from them. He wants to engage her in one of his genjutsu, somewhere where the two could talk without fear, but is interrupted with Kakashi's voice.

"I think the Land of Water is a good bet for us. You guys will like it. Maybe the Mizukage might welcome us, depending on how she feels like about this guy" his thumb is directed at Sasuke, who simply shrugs his shoulders and mutters a quiet apology.

Kakashi's hand points at a collection of large islands drawn on the map, east of where the Land of Whirlpool once existed. The distance between the two is much greater, and Sasuke thinks that running on water isn't a wise choice for such a long trip. There is a port on the other side of the former Land of Whirlpools where they can find a boat that will take them east. They decide to head that direction, and Sasuke thinks of how much time they have spent on the road.

He cannot pinpoint the exact number of days and weeks since their departure from the war. Ever since he reunited with team 7, counting days and checking the time has not been necessary because it would feel like this is all too real. For a small part of him, being back with the people he considers family is like a far-fetched dream that often danced in his dreams back when he had just left Konoha.

But spending time together an excited jinchuuriki, the future Hokage, and at one of the strongest kunoichi he has known has become one of his favourite activities. Dark pasts and issues aside, Sasuke has never felt so at peace with himself. There is still a lot to work on between him and the team (particularly with Sakura, his mind highlights), but their acceptance is a gift and a privilege to he knows he does not deserve.

* * *

><p>They get to the port at the end of the day, when they sky bleeds in different colours and a few stars begin to spark. Kakashi's heavy backpack makes a loud <em>thump<em> when it hits the ground, leaving it behind with his students while he approaches the captain of a boat. Sakura, without thinking twice, picks it up and swings it across her shoulders, not even bothered by its heavy weight.

"How can you carry it like that? That thing is hella heavy," Naruto scratches the back of his head.

"While some people like to carry around scrolls, others like to carry around hard cover versions of their favourite pornographic novels," she replies, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't want you prying into his private collection."

Sasuke listens to them interact but then begins to wander with his recovering sight. His exercises have continued with Sakura, who is as patient as he guessed in teaching him how to get back his sense. He tests to see how far he can see by reading the letters of all the names of the shops and restaurants located in the port.

The fluorescent light contrasts with the black writing. It hinders his eyes and he catches himself squinting at one particular sign that has many figures around its undecipherable name. His blurry vision can make out the shapes of fish and flowers painted with vibrant colours, but the symbols written are still a challenge for him.

"Tattoos, Sasuke-kun? Really?" Sakura's melodic laugh reaches his ears.

He concentrates in his female teammate with a confused expression. She smiles back -this time, a true smile that reminds him of the ones his mother used to give him- and takes his arm. Sakura leads him towards the sign he was trying so hard to decipher, all the while readjusting her hand so that it is properly woven on his limb.

"I've always wanted to get one," Naruto says and Sasuke notices that he is standing between his two teammates.

He looks up at the colourful sign and is finally able to read it. It reads _Ikezumi,_ a word surrounded by orange koi fish, swirls, and waves. Having a tattoo parlour in a port seems appropriate, Sasuke thinks. Many sailors like to have mementos permanently painted on their skins to remind them of loved ones or of their connection to the sea. It is in that moment that Sasuke agrees with his best friend. Getting one doesn't seem like a radical idea after all.

He feels Naruto's hand on his other arm, and is taken inside the tattoo shop without opposition. The inside walls are filled with paintings that Sasuke's eyes unfortunately cannot see, but Sakura begins to point them out and it gives him an idea of the beauty that is in front of him.

"There is a large lotus flower in that corner," she points to the left. "The details are really intricate on it. It's like the paint brush coloured the flower with a swirling motion."

"Quite fitting for the Land of Whirpool, don't ya think?" the owner of the shop approaches them. He is close enough that Sasuke can see the details on his arm and neck tattoos. They are mostly abstract shapes and symbols that must have once had a special meaning to the man. "Now what do we have here?" he asks.

Naruto lets go of Sasuke's arm while Sakura's is still comfortable holding on to him and he doesn't budge. The blond lifts up his black and orange jacket, showing the owner the Four Symbols Seal that has been on his stomach since he was born.

"This is a seal, but I want a _real_ tattoo 'ttebayo!" he explains.

Sasuke wonders why his best friend is so comfortable showing his seals to the world. To him, they form an aspect of the privacy of his body and does not wish to reveal them so easily.

The tattoo shop owner lets out a raspy chuckle, and Sakura catches the lingering scent of tobacco coming from his mouth. The man probably sees plenty of visitors with character, but nobody leaves an impression like Uzumaki Naruto does. Her friend leaves even more of an impression if he's accompanied by the other two Second Sannin _and_ Hatake Kakashi.

And speaking of the devil, Kakashi appears behind her and Sasuke. Her two hands are laced around the boy's arm and separates when her former sensei notices their connected limbs. She takes a step to the side and tries to hide her blushed face to no avail.

"And you, sweetheart? Anything you'd like to get done?" the man asks her. "I see you've have more courage than your two friends over here. You have a seal in your forehead. Better watch out for this one!"

She taps her diamond shaped Yin seal and smiles politely at the owner. At least someone does not have to take years to acknowledge her strength and talent. The tattoo parlour has no idea of how far her sea can extends, but Sakura keeps that knowledge to herself. She feels Kakashi place a hand on her shoulder.

"This girl is capable of a lot," he compliments her. "She's the strongest out of the three."

And Sakura, for once, does not want to disagree with her sensei because he knows how much she has had to endure.

The tattoo owner asks the three to sit down in separate chairs after Kakashi convinces him he had no intention of inking his body. Sasuke has to give it to his former sensei for being the most modest out of the four. It's been years and neither him nor Sakura or Naruto have seen Kakashi's face. Funny how one of the people he trusts the most has never revealed what is behind his mask.

But most importantly, he is surprised at his own consensus with their collective idea. Getting a tattoo has never been on his wish list, and he is quite sure that his mother and father would look down on him for thinking of staining his skin with unnecessary ink. But they are gone, and his current family is quite happy with the idea of painting a memento together. He takes off his cloak, already thinking of ideas.

"I know what to get. I want this symbol in the middle of my back. Make it the same colour too." Naruto takes off his jacket, turns it around, and points at the red Uzumaki symbol stitched in the back.

The parlour owner looks at it for a moment before speaking. "I never thought I'd get the honour to meet one of your clan."

"Yeah, not many of us out there. But this is my family now and they're okay too 'ttebayo."

The man then turns to Sasuke, whose short-sleeve shirt was also off, and was holding it in front of him in a similar way. He points at the the symbol of his clan.

"Never thought I'd see one of you too," the man says.

"Same thing as him, but in my upper back."

Sasuke would honour the memory of his past family by having the symbol permanently imprinted on his skin. After all, the Uchiha are devoted to love and friendship. It is something that Sasuke is not willing to turn around into hatred, and so this symbol would also act as a reminder of his commitment to protect those dear to him. His eyes fall on Sakura, who is silently studying the lotus painting on the wall.

"And for you, dear?"

Sakura looks at the owner, who is already preparing the ink and needles he will use on her teammates' backs. She thinks for a moment, until she motions the man to come close to her and whispers something in his ear.

Sasuke watches her, intrigued as to what she had told the owner, but then feels a needle carving out in circular motions on his back. He bites down on his cheek, reminded that traditional tattooing is a troublesome method. Throughout his life as a shinobi, Sasuke has experienced every sort of pain, but nothing compares to the irritating scratches being made on his back. He feels a set of fingers lace with his and finds that Sakura has connected their hands, aware of his discomfort. Her face is turned away as she engages in conversation with Kakashi.

"Ne, she won't let me hold her hand when it's my turn," Naruto complains in a tone that only Sasuke hears.

He lifts up a corner of his mouth, welcoming the comforting touch of Sakura's warmth on his. She is too distracted talking to Kakashi to notice Naruto's complaint, but Sasuke hears the raspy chuckle of the tattoo owner and figures that his best friend can never be too quiet for his own good.

When his tattoo is finished, Sasuke feels the stinging sensation of his skin rising up and cannot deny that he is eager to look at the final result. He stands with his back in front of a mirror and holds another one on his hand to get a better glimpse at his reflection. The Uchiha symbol is accurately placed in the upper middle section of his back, neither too big nor small, with its black outline and vibrant red.

"This is so cool."

Naruto now stands beside him, still with his shirt off, and the Uzumaki symbol engraved in his back. Sasuke notices that his friend's tattoo is slightly bigger than his and it takes after the symbol in the back of his jacket. The two of them continue comparing their pieces until a third person joins them.

"You two clearly don't know how to handle pain," Sakura comments, lifting up the front of her shirt to reveal a symbol written on the right side of her belly.

Sasuke stops looking in the mirror and focuses on the new addition to Sakura's beauty. Her toned stomach is like silk with gentle strokes of ink written on it. He suddenly feels conscious in his shirtless state in front of her, aware that, even for his blurry sight, her cheeks are certainly flushed because of it. He tries to decipher what the owner did on Sakura's body, and so he takes some steps until he is close enough to read the symbol.

It is black ink on a white canvas, he thinks. Something that surely symbolises a lot to her and to their bond as a team. The symbol, a mix of thick and thin strokes, create a signature that is about the same size as the fan on his back. It is a memento that will help them endure when the days get too difficult for them.

Sasuke's lips lift sideways, finally thinking of the word in his head, while Sakura expresses contentment in her features.

_Perseverance._

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><p><strong>Because team 7 does things together like a family! I always imagined them getting ink together because of all they have gone through, and let's get real, a shirtless Sasuke and Naruto showing off their clan symbols!? Um yes plz. <strong>

**By the way, you folks be cray. A 100 follows already!? Wow, just... arigatou!**

**WE ARE CANON BY THE WAY. LIKE. OFFICIALLY. THEY OFFICIALLY BANGED. (That's gonna be my new line)**

**Thank you so much for your support in this fic! It started as a spurt of the moment and I am impressed with the feedback it's gotten. Due to the final events of the manga, it is slightly-AU yet still canon (? I don't make any sense).**

**Many of you guessed what actually happened to Sakura, and it will be an issue that will be further explored in the next chapter. After that, we will see where it takes us.**

**Also, check out my new one-shot if you want! It's called Never Let Me Go and it is my way of celebrating our SasuSaku official status because they make great salad together (I can just imagine the puns Sakura's dad would make about his granddaughter's name lolololol)**

**Thanks for all the support, loves :)**

**Sincerely,**

**MSM**

**Pd: Is it team 7 or Team 7? **


	6. Recover

23/11/2014 Trigger warning: serious issues talked about in this chapter. If you are uncomfortable, please do not read on!

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><p><strong>Recover<strong>

The Land of Water is, by overall mass, the smallest country out of the Great Shinobi Nations. It is also home to Kirigakure, the hidden village that Zabuza once called home. Sakua looks back on that memory that feels more like a dream than a reality as her mind jogs through all the information she knows about their arrival point.

The boat drops them off on Kiri's island. Team 7 walks out of the port, looking at their surroundings. Though the village has had the most missing-nin in history, it seems to be in a much better condition under the current Mizukage. Mist surrounds its buildings, and Sasuke would find it much more difficult to walk without tripping on his feet were it not for Sakura's reassuring hand on his elbow.

"First, I think we should pay Mei a visit as Konoha's delegates," Kakashi comments tucking his hands in his pockets. Vendors set up outside are offering townspeople their produce, creating a livelier atmosphere that contrasts with its thick fog.

"Are you saying that because the Mizukage's actually okay with this idiot?" Naruto asks, pointing towards Sasuke with his thumb. "And," he adds, "with your kinda-wandering-like-lost-puppies mode?"

"It's been a while since we've had proper food," Sakura comments, slightly leaning towards her teammate as he sidesteps a cobblestone. "Being on the Mizukage's good side means restocking our supplies _properly._"

The thought of a nice and comfortable bed, rather than a sleeping cot in a fishing boat or the uneven ground of a destroyed home, has a nice ring in all of their ears.

Though Sasuke has a hard time seeing where he is going, he is still trying to track down a certain chakra signature. After the end of the war, he has not heard anything about them, although he hasn't tried to reach out either. His priorities, much like everything else, changed. What he now sees as priorities were now standing around him, walking with him, holding his elbow as the only guide he needs.

The architecture in Kirigakure is set up like in Konoha. It is a hidden village among tall peaks, with dark greens blooming atop the circular buildings, the mist hydrating its flora. Sasuke notices that people have a lighter skin tone in this village, perhaps due to the lack of sun. He then turns to Naruto, thinking how his blond hair and tanned hue stands out from the bland browns and greys. Sasuke can only imagine how much more Sakura must stand out with her natural colouring. It's easier for him to find her, and that's no problem.

They stop in front of a circular building lower than the other sky risers. Its circumference is much larger, and the blurry symbol in front of its entrance indicates Sasuke that he is about to enter the Mizukage Tower.

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><p>The feast laid out in front of their eyes is enough to make Naruto's mouth water. He wants to have a bite of everything that is in front of him, write down how the taste feels like, and keep the notes in his pockets to add to his future letters. He can only imagine how much he would enjoy having a meal like this with a certain someone from Konoha. But when Sakura nudges him in the ribs and points and the people in front of him, Naruto can't help but peak his curiosity.<p>

The Mizukage seems to be quite invested in what Kakashi is talking about, which, to his students' ears, is most likely unimportant. She has dismissed her headgear, and her bodyguards are attentively watching how many sips of her drink she is taking, and how she is gradually moving closer to Konoha's future Hokage.

Sakura turns to her two teammates and shares a secretive smile with them. This is not the first time that an adult woman shows interest in their sensei and she is quite sure it will not be the last.

Nevertheless, she is very thankful for the food in front of them. Even Sasuke is eating with more enthusiasm than before.

"Kakashi, share some of it with your team, please. Otherwise they will think that we are a pair of old geezers drinking our sorrows away," the Mizukage's lips tilt in a corner, her luscious brown hair covering one eye, as she pushes a bottle of sake in front of the Second Sannin.

"They're just kids, Mizukage-sama-"

"Mei, please."

"-and they are too young to legally consume alcohol."

Funny how their sensei still thinks that they are children, even after defeating the _creator_ of all chakra. Even after Naruto was forced to proof-read some of Jiraiya's work when he was still alive.

"You," Mei points at Sakura, who perks up giving the woman her full attention. "You're Tsunade's old apprentice, am I right? She must have taught you how to hold your alcohol too."

Sakura feels her cheeks turn pink in embarrassment as she sips a bit from her cup. If pleasing the Mizukage means a warm bed for the night, she would take it.

Naruto is the next one to follow. He also tries out his drink, at first disgusted by the taste, but then washes it down with a bit of white rice. Then, he takes a second sip with more confidence, and his cup gradually gets emptier. Sasuke is the last one to join, tentatively reaching the brim of his cup to his lips, getting used to the bitter taste of sake on his mouth.

And as the girl predicted, her knucklehead friend turns into a loud chatterbox the more he drinks. She feels a surge of happiness on her chest as she listen to Naruto ramble on and on about their traveling adventures. His words begin to slur a bit, and she giggles. He mentions how they all traveled to different places and helped people; how they got their tattoos before coming to Kiri (and how, if they weren't in such a formal setting, he would take off his jacket and showcase the swirl painted on his back). He then tells the Mizukage the story of Sakura's first childbirth, pride present in every single one of his words.

The Mizukage is, to an already tipsy Sakura, quite impressed by her achievements. "If only we had medics like you in here, Sakura-chan. I couldn't expect any less from the Hokage's apprentice."

The praises continue coming her way, and Sakura shyly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, turning her head slightly towards her other teammate. Sasuke is sitting quietly at her side, his eyes focused on his plate, his hands on his lap as if he were meditating. He notices her gaze and meets her eyes, and Sakura feels her body targeted under such a strong gaze.

Naruto continues rambling in the background, making the two Kages laugh with his antics, and the brief visual exchange between her and Sasuke goes unnoticed.

Sasuke is a quiet drunk, she thinks. But there is something in his eyes that tell her otherwise.

"Excuse me." He gets up from his spot and leaves the dinner table quickly.

Sakura's brow furrows as she mutters the same words and follows him. Her footsteps are a little wobbly, reminding her of _that_ time when it was also difficult to walk, and her heart sinks a little. Now she has to deal with her emotionally scarred teammate and her own condition, both in an intoxicated state. Not the best way to start her night.

Her heart beat is pounding on her ears as she finds Sasuke in one of the Tower's balconies. The moonlight outlines his back as he leans on the railing, turned away from her. The lights and noise from downtown Kirigakure are in the background, giving life to the night in the hidden village. Even though Sakura cannot see his face, she still finds this as one of the most beautiful sights her eyes have ever seen. She takes slow steps, knowing that Sasuke can feel her presence, and imitates his posture as she stops beside him.

There is a pregnant pause between the two.

"It's the first time we're in a village since our journey started," Sakura starts.

Sasuke's eyes set in the distance, slightly wrinkled on the sides, as he tries to make out what is going on in the streets below. He can only distinguish blurred figures walking back and forth in the public streets of Kirigakure.

"Just like I thought, you must be a really quiet drunk," she continues. "Naruto, on the other hand, he can never keep quiet."

"Orochimaru ensured that I was immune to poisons," Sasuke says, startling her, "but he never once gave me an ounce of alcohol."

She cannot help but be amused by this new piece of information.

"Then is this your first time drinking?"

He just shrugs his shoulders.

Deep down, like Kakashi said, he is still a child. They all still are, even after the pain they have gone through, and that is what saddens Sakura the most. Being a shinobi means that there is no time to rewind and try to relive those younger years as children should. The only comfort she has in that moment is being back with her original team and learning to cope with her issues.

"Why did you leave the dinner table?" she finally asks.

And his head turns her way. "Because seeing you hide yourself like that is annoying."

Perhaps this is the alcohol acting up in his system, but it really is annoying to see her act so happy when there is something clearly bothering her.

That last word stings in her heart, but Sakura tries to mask the effect by grinding her teeth. She is slowly starting to regret following him out of their dinner with the Mizukage. It was an impolite gesture, but the way in which Sasuke exited made her worry about his well being. Not everybody has good reactions to sake, and that is something that she knows all too well.

"Sasuke-kun, do you think that it is okay for you to get over the death of your family?"

Sakura turns her head towards her teammate. She notices how his shoulders slightly tense but then relax. His past is still conflicting him, and Sakura wonders if he ever actually sleeps when he closes his eyes at night.

"I don't think I'm supposed to. It's a reminder of what once had and what I lost."

For Sasuke, it is also a reminder of what he wants to gain in the future. But Sakura isn't going to get away with asking about his past. He has her isolated from the team right now, and he is not going to let her go until she confesses about her problems.

"Then how can you live in the present?"

She cannot distract him like this.

"How can _you_?"

The question catches Sakura off-guard. She turns around, ready to leave, but Sasuke appears in front of her in a blink and she is trapped between him and the railing of the balcony. He has her now, trapped.

"Sasuke-kun, please."

"Did you think that I wasn't going to notice?"

"It's nothing."

That's a lie. For the past months, Sasuke has discovered how easy it is to recognize what comes out of Sakura's mouth. She hides it too well, but he certainly catches on to more than she would like to believe.

"Let me just-"

"Speak."

He locks her with his hands on each side of the railing, dangerously close to her body and he feels the effects of sake on his system. However, the sudden flash of fear in Sakura's eyes makes him take a step back and give her space. There is something about her demeanour that does not feel comfortable with the closeness they have shared before. This is not the first time they find themselves so physically close, but Sakura does not seem to welcome him, as if he was the same threat as before.

"I know you've been asking a lot about what's going on with me. It's just... not easy to share," her words sound painful in his ears, and they take a while to digest.

Why, Sasuke wants to ask. They have all gone through traumatic experiences from losing loved ones. Being affected after killing someone is out of the question, he reasons, because they're shinobi and killing is a normal part of their profession. Sasuke knows what his teammate is capable of. She knows her duties as a medic and as a kunoichi, so how terrible can it be that she cannot open up about her issues when he's had to talk about his so many times before?

_He_ opened up to her about the Uchiha massacre when they first started their journey. _He_ let her in a secret that not many people knew, knowing how unfair it was for Sakura to be the only team member unaware of his family's past. She listened and understood, and it brought them closer as comrades. He knows how important it is to maintain his bonds with team 7, yet Sakura isn't willing to put in the same effort.

He feels his hands clench, Sakura catching on to his impatience. Uchiha Sasuke is used to getting his way, be it taking or saving a life. She knows the conflicting nature of her teammate, all due to factors that he never had control over. What else could one expect from being the sole member of a clan and its implications?

His voice sounds like venom to her ears when he speaks. "Sakura, lashing out at the world for its injustice isn't the right answer. Trust me, I know it. But neither is it to let your past consume every fiber of your body and make you unrecognizable."

Sasuke knows all too well about it. And being honest with himself, it hurts him to see Sakura decomposing like this in front of him as much as when he was lost before returning to team 7.

"Why do you want to know?" she asks, her voice shaking.

She wants to keep the memories behind, but Sasuke isn't letting her. He is being very lenient on her, waiting until the words come out of her mouth rather than engaging her in a genjutsu. But Sakura cannot even let her mind think of the exact words; it would hurt too much. It would break her down all over again and she goes not want her teammates to protect her. She needs to contain herself for their team's sake. She is known as the only sane one in team 7, and if Sasuke and Naruto were to find out-

"Because through all these years you never once lost hope in me. You were always there to help, and seeing you carry a burden without telling anyone what it is about is..." _it's slowly killing me._

There are tears trailing down her face now. Her face is the same as when he found her after the childbirth, the same as when he saw her wash herself in the ruins of Uzushio. Sasuke already knows that there is something happening, and Sakura can only cry about it. Talking to her sensei was a similar process. If she could confess to Kakashi, why is it so difficult to tell her teammate too?

_Because he might think differently of you._

_Because he will not understand._

_Because he will not accept you ever again._

The guilt she carries in her chest is so heavy that sometimes it's difficult to walk. Sakura has to tell herself constantly to keep going, that what's done is done and cannot change back. That nothing good would come out of the trust. After all, there is nothing to be done. The shinobi world does not work that way, as much as it pains her.

"Don't hold yourself in."

Sasuke's pain is greater than hers.

Her pain is just a stupid mistake that she could have avoided.

"You feel so far away," her words come out in a whisper.

But there he is. Inviting her. Going out of his own way to make sure that she is fine even though she is far away from it. Sakura wants to reach her hand out and touch his face, to feel him so close and alive, but at the same time she can see the growing distance between them. He would never understand.

"I'm here."

Sasuke never knows how to deal with pain properly. This is why this team rebuilding trip is partly for; he needs to learn how to cope his past mistakes and traumatic experiences. But seeing Sakura -_his_ Sakura- afflicted with memories that parallel to his in damage, makes him want to sink even lower than before. She is not supposed to be this way, his mind tries to tell him. She is supposed to be the blossom of their team, the one that sticks them together when things with Naruto get too tense or when Kakashi is also lost in his past.

How can they stay like this if one of the most important people in his life is suffering in silence?

"I'm not going away."

No. He's not going away this time. He's here to stay by her side, to see her bring more lives into the world, to help her build a better place.

But first, he needs to find out what is wrong with her.

"I... I can't."

_I love you_, she wants to say.

_I love you so much that I'm afraid you'll turn your back on me and leave if I tell you._

"Please try."

Sakura slides down until her knees are wrapped on her arms and her face is buried in them.

Sasuke knows how vulnerable she must feel at this moment, and how the fear that somebody might catch her in this state is stopping her from opening up. He wraps his arms around her and quickly transports them to a different building top, doing so until they are far above the village. Sasuke finally settles her down at the top of one of the mountains that surround Kirigakure. He kneels in front of her hugging figure, unsure of how to react or even console her.

"There's no one around," he says.

Sasuke cannot remember the last time he has done so much for a person before. She makes him do these things without even realising how much impact they have on him.

Sakura's face finally peeks out from her knees, trails of tears running down her cheeks. She smiles sadly at him, as if she was reminiscing an old memory of their gennin days. A younger and lost Sasuke would never go this far for her.

"Naruto has really changed you," she comments.

He isn't the only one who has.

"I won't tell him or Kakashi."

Sakura wants to say that their sensei already knows, but it is better to keep that secret away in case Sasuke decides to ask him about it. She takes a deep breath, trying to stabilise her system. Her shishou has taught her that women need to be strong at all times. They need to be strong to survive in this cruel world led by people who want to kill each other.

"There are some things kunoichi are taught separately from men," she begins.

Sasuke doesn't want to interrupt her. She is finally opening up, and he needs to seize the opportunity.

"One of them is to keep our emotions in check at all times. What an archaic thing to say, that it's only us females who are affected by our emotions. You and Naruto are the perfect model for people who get too invested in them," she adds bitterly, "yet women are the ones who get called out every time we show too much.

"All those times you've seen me break down like this, they've started recently. I thought I could hold it in forever, but after helping with that delivery, something crashed inside me and I couldn't stop it. The pain I've been hiding since the war came out. Actually, I think it began to manifest when I first saw you on the battlefield, but I needed to deny it because our goal was to defeat the enemy. You were back and I could feel better about having team 7 together again. It only lasted for so long, though. Everyday I struggle more. Everyday it's harder to continue.

"A part of me is so happy to have you back. So happy to share all these wonderful moments with you because they were something I dreamed about since you left Konoha. But sometimes the pain is unbearable and, to my misfortune, you've caught me in this state more than once."

Sakura trails his fine features with the tip of her fingers, memorising how his face feels under her touch. He's so beautiful, and so broken, it hurts her to put this burden on his shoulders. She tells herself that she needs to stop talking, that it would not bring any justice into her life.

"Sakura, what happened to you?"

His eyes were looking right at hers. She cannot hide anymore, not when he has her in this state. The right words cannot come out of her mouth, but she needs to try her best to get it out.

"There was someone in the Shinobi Alliance." Sasuke could feel his heart drop. "He had a sort of vendetta against me because of a past mission. The night before our final battle, I found myself alone until he came around and... and he paralyzed me. He was rough. I felt like it was never going to end, Sasuke-kun. I have never been so afraid. It hurt so much."

Her words are muffled by the sobs that escape from her throat. She finds herself hugging her knees again, face buried between them. This is the second time that she tells this story, though Kakashi needed less description to understand what happened. It doesn't make it any easier for her that Sasuke isn't saying anything. He is still planted on his knees in front of her, his hands on his side, his blurry vision embedded on her head.

This is exactly what she predicted. Sakura suddenly wants to punish herself for being so weak. She could have avoided it, she did not even get to kill the shinobi. It is all her fault for past mistakes.

"It's not your fault," Sasuke defies her thoughts. She lifts her head slightly, finding herself with a beautiful face that is struggling to find the right words. "It's not your fault it happened," he repeats.

She is a victim. She is a human being who was violated.

She is the strongest kunoichi Sasuke has ever known.

Sasuke wraps his arms around her, like he has done before, and lets her bury her face in the crook of his neck. He never had anyone console him when he lost his family or when he killed Itachi, and the reality of being alone in this world drove him to do unforgivable things.

Sakura tried to stop him once. She could have ended his misery but did not find the courage to do so. Sasuke regrets all the times he has hurt her in the past, and makes a mental note to apologize to her more often from now on. There were so many times that he could have left her all alone, to deal with her own pain without help.

But now, he is not going to leave her. No, not after all the times she has selflessly helped him. Sakura has proven over and over again to be one of the most giving people in the world. Their team -their _family__-_ would never be the same without her sweet smiles and warm presence.

This time, Sasuke concludes, this time he is going to be the one to help her recover.

* * *

><p><em>**CUE RANT**<em>

_As most of you suspected, yes, it did happen. The reason as to why I've decided on this tragic event on Sakura's life is due to some fics I've read where she is sexually assaulted yet it is supposed to be considered a turn on to the reader. Every time I find a story where Sakura is taken advantage of by Sasuke I want to cringe. It's not sexy. It's not him being powerful and erotic. Rape is rape. The victim has to live with the consequences and social stigma *cue in vid about men being asked if they would marry a rape victim and why/why not.*The thought that one partner takes advantage of the other without consent, and is socially acceptable in fan-written literature, implants further ideas on people's heads, which could potentially lead to real life situations where the reader finds her/himself in a similar vulnerable situation yet does not see the traumatic impact it may bring in the future._

_Do you folks know how often women and men are sexually assaulted in the military? Look it up. If the Shinobi Alliance is made up of villages that have held grudges against one another, the turnout of many of those quarrels must have led to sexual assault. It's a really sensitive topic, something that I think should be discussed more in our society, and my current outlet is fanfiction. If you felt uncomfortable reading this chapter, I apologize, but it's supposed to show how Sasuke seeks redemption with Sakura and learns to create a better world. Take it as my version of how they get together, as some sort of AU from the canon ending. (I still cry about it, and I'm a 22 year old recent university grad trying finding escape in a fictional world). _

_I didn't want to make Sakura a weak woman for "getting herself raped" -NO. PLEASE. If you ever hear ANYONE use those words, you need to know that they are incorrect. A victim is a victim because someone else used their agency against them. History's genocides did not happen because the victims 'provoked' the perpetrators. MASS rape does not happen because vulnerable individuals put themselves out there to get violated. By saying this, I count it as my own opinion. There are several variations out there and we may not see eye to eye on this theme, but the outcome of the victim is something one must never forget. We've seen through Naruto and Sasuke what trauma can lead them to. In this story, Sasuke does not want to see Sakura sink into the same despair he's gone through because he cares about her. _

_As I have told some of you, this story does have an ending. The final scene is already playing out in my mind, and we will see where the characters take us before we reach it. There will be a lot of emotion, and it will not be an angsty work, but rather how two people find happiness together. Kishimoto recognizes that he does not feel comfortable writing romance or women, hence why Sakura and Hinata do not have much agency in the series outside of their devotion for their future husbands. In here, I attempt to give her back some of her agency through character development without straying into OOC-zone. Please, if you notice that our beloved team isn't acting how they should be, send me a PM about it._

_**RANT OVER**_

_Anyway, rant is over. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK 3 expect a LOT of interaction between the two. And I hope that all the good scenes I have planned for this fic will be of your liking :3 I'm still wondering whether I should change the rating or not, though the words that directly relate to rape were not used. Let me know what you think of Sasuke's reaction! Does Sakura cry too much for your liking? Does her tattoo (the word perseverance) make more sense now?_

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_


	7. Shelter

**Shelter**

Sasuke's arms remain wrapped around her fragile form for an eternal moment, or at least that is what it feels like to Sakura. His words echo in her mind, acting as a new mantra meant to help her keep going.

_It'snotyourfaultit'snotyourfaultit'snotyourfault._

When Sasuke moves, she is afraid to look at the expression on his face. He isn't one to share many words, and this is him going to great lengths to comfort her sorrows. Sakura can truly appreciate how much he has progressed in the last months, and how much more her love has grown for this broken person in front of her.

Now, things between them would never be the same. Sakura isn't sure if it will be for the better or the worse. She knows that justice cannot be served anymore, that the stabbing sensation in her insides will remain because she cannot seek the same revenge that Sasuke has in the past. But opening up about such a sensitive topic to the one person she loves the most, somebody who shows concern and care for her, is definitely taking some weight off her shoulders.

"Let's go back," she proposes.

They don't say anything to one another as he transports them back to the busy streets of Kirigakure, where they walk aimlessly, shoulder to shoulder, hidden in the mist. Sakura does not mind the silence, feeling a little exhausted after the emotional roller coaster she was put through. Her feet keep going, following the same normal pace as Sasuke's.

_It'snotyourfaultit'snotyourfaultit'snotyourfault._

That is what she is supposed to do. To keep going. To endure. Because the world does not get any easier but every minute she gets a little wiser, and maybe -just maybe- the pain will slowly take a step back and let her live happy with herself.

* * *

><p>Naruto knows that agreeing with the Mizukage is a good idea.<p>

His head keeps bobbing up and down, feeling nauseated at times, while Mei and Kakashi engage in some political-talk-no-jutsu he has yet to learn. Well, if he is going to take the mantle after his sensei, he better start learning about Kage stuff as early as he can. Calling it Kage stuff isn't in the right direction, but what is?

Or at least that is what the sake is telling him to do so.

"First time drinking, Naruto-kun?" the Mizukage turns towards the blond, who just nods with a bright smile.

Yes. And he has already saved the world from the Infinite Tsukiyomi, befriended all the Tailed Beasts, defeated Kaguya, and has been given powers by the Sage of Six Paths. It's about time that the great Uzumaki Naruto takes a break from being a superhero and relaxes with his family and the Mizukage.

Speaking of his family...

"Where are Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan?" he asks to no one in particular.

Kakashi lifts an eyebrow, knowing more than Naruto. He knows that his other two students have been getting a lot closer lately, but cannot bring himself to imagine what they could be doing. They are both too guarded to sneak out of a formal -or _supposed_ to be formal- dinner with the Mizukage, in her own village, to do the things he reads in Icha Icha.

Instead, his mind settles for a more possible answer, and he thinks about the sort of talk Sakura and Sasuke must be having at the moment. Kakashi wonders how Sasuke would handle it.

Chōjūrō, one of Mei's bodyguards for the night, provides the answer. "They were seen walking around the village not too long ago, making their way back here."

Ah, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kakashi adds mentally. His fame is as known as the Legendary Sannin back in Konoha.

"Now that our conversation can finally be shared among only us, the Kage, we can get down to business."

Naruto's head nods in agreement, already satisfied knowing that his two teammates were just taking a break from all the food _-and_ that the Mizukage is including him as a Kage in this conversation. After all, the sake and the Mizukage's words tell him it is necessary to pay attention to what is said next.

"With the war over, you know that it is necessary to keep the villages united," Mei begins. "From what you've said about your travels, Naruto-kun, it shows me how much good you can bring into this world. Perhaps the visit to my village could be extended to the others as a form of diplomatic tie among all of us."

That sounds like a good idea, Naruto thinks. To travel around and do what again? He cannot fully remember what he'd just heard, so he nods and smiles in agreement. Stay polite, stay polite.

He hears the low rumble of Kurama's laugh in his subconscious. Is Kurama drunk too?

Kakashi, knowing that the Child of the Prophecy is too intoxicated to know what the adults are saying, decides to speak on his behalf.

"Mizukage-sama, are you suggesting that our team rebuilding trip should turn into a diplomatic mission for Konoha?"

"I said you should call me Mei. And I propose that you do both at the same time. A great team like yours should learn how to rebuild itself by learning how to build bonds between greater forces, Kakashi. You will be named the Hokage, if I have heard correctly, and this could act as a way of introducing yourself and your strongest disciples to the other villages in a peaceful manner. What better way to maintain the villages connected than to start with the right foot this time?"

Mei takes another sip of her sake, offering him a side smile. She has an excellent point. It is something that would legitimize their travels, ease Sasuke's reputation internationally, and bring the villages closer.

If there is something that Kakashi loves more than his Icha Icha novels, it is a powerful woman with intelligence.

And the peace and quietness that a knucklehead ninja brings after he passes out from drinking too much.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stands in front of an old house in downtown Kiri, the rest of his team soon catching up to him. He stares at the half opened door until he feels Naruto and Sakura by his side. He slowly pushes the door and then finds himself in a large room, recognizing the chakra signatures he has been searching since his arrival in the village.<p>

"Is this...?"

Sakura's question is met with a variety of laughs, short footsteps, and voices all mixed in together with the sight before their eyes. She watches as the children stop moving one by one, all of them paying their full attention to the four Konoha shinobi who magically appeared in their front door. A little boy scratches his nose and then sniffs, while another is holding his toy between his arms with wide eyes.

"Now, kids, why are you so quiet?"

Her head turns to someone walking in from the kitchen. She sees a tall man with orange hair, who joins the children with the surprised expression on his face.

"Juugo," Sasuke finally says, and Sakura's mind clicks.

She has seen that man before. He was present during the final battle.

"S-Sasuke-sama..."

And he appears to be just as shocked to see her teammate as she had been when he first joined them in defeating the Ten Tails.

Team 7 hears more footsteps coming behind Juugo, and a white-haired man peeks out his head from the kitchen. His expressions goes from shock to a sly grin, one of his sharpened teeth showing in between his lips.

"So you finally decide to visit, eh?" he asks.

"Suigetsu."

It all makes sense in Sakura's head now.

"Uh, Sasuke, what're we doing here?" Naruto asks, scratching the back of his head.

Suigetsu's attention turns to him in surprise and what seems a little bit of respect. "So you're the guy who saved all our asses?"

"Suigetsu, language," Juugo scolds him.

"Asses? What's an asses, Juugo-niisan?" one of the girls asks.

Juugo sighs, and Sakura is reminded of the many times she has had to deal with the immaturity of Naruto during their genin days.

The room came back to life with the sounds of the children's voices as they gathered around the tall orange-haired man, whose dismayed expression switched to one of scolding as he looks at Suigetsu, who just shrugs his shoulders and goes back to the kitchen.

A little girl trips on her feet when she makes her way to Juugo, catching Sasuke's eye. He begins to pay attention to the group that seems to be under his ex-teammates' care. Most of the children, like the little girl, wear old and dirty rags as clothes, some are missing an arm or a leg, some have bandages around their heads. Nothing stops them from their curiosity, much like Sasuke's when he identifies the reality set in front of him.

Naruto appears to realize too. They both exchange a look before turning back on the young group of war victims, whose lives have been affected by the loss of loved ones much like theirs when they were mere children. This shelter is what Naruto and Sasuke lacked when they lost everything. Whereas they were starved of love, the orphans in front of them were given a second chance in a life after war regardless of their current state.

Before team 7 can step in to help with the children, three clouds poof beside Naruto and his shadow clones appear. Three identical blonds catch the attention of the children, who no longer drill Juugo with their curiosity and turn their heads towards the Konoha shinobi as if they are seeing a magic show.

"Alright, kids! Who wants to play ninja?" Naruto and his shadow clones say in unison.

The orphans, every single one of them, run towards the blonds and begin to tackle them playfully. Naruto's laughter gets mixed with the children's, and Sakura reminds herself of how lonely her best friend was while growing up, and how special he is at making others feel better about themselves. With these kids, the thinks, Naruto can at least teach them to never give up on their lives in spite of their conditions.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto adds, keeping his language in check since kids seem to absorb _everything_ like sponges. "We're going outside to play some games. You should join us too!"

Pride fills inside of Sakura, and she shows it in the first sincere smile she has had since Mizukage's dinner.

* * *

><p>When night falls, and after team 7 helps Suigetsu and Juugo tuck the children to bed in a separate room, they all sit in the kitchen with a candle in the middle of the table as the only source of light. To Sasuke's blurred eyes, this scenario seems like a far-fetched idea that is just as difficult to see in his mind. He never would have thought about sitting with his two teams on a kitchen table, in an orphanage of all places, listening to Suigetsu and Naruto talk in volumes that are equally loud while Juugo and Kakashi sit back and watch them in amusement.<p>

Amusement. That is what he thinks about it too. He is amused at how parts of his old and new past get together in a setting that is meant to signify the future. The post-war period. When everything and everyone recovers and redefines itself, much like he and Sakura are doing with their lives. His eyes take a quick glance at his female teammate, whose head is slightly lolled frontward while her body is relaxed on the chair, showing her exhaustion.

Sasuke, from today's events, realizes that Sakura is a person who thrives when she is surrounded by children. Perhaps it is because of her bright colours, which seem to attract the Kiri orphans in a friendly manner. Or her name, a blossom in the middle of a war-torn, barren field. Or her chakra signature, calm and perfectly under control, radiating reassurance to those around her even though she may be suffering on the inside.

He remembers Kakashi's words back at the tattoo parlour. Sakura is indeed the strongest of the three.

Her confession has not stopped playing in his mind during their stay in Kirigakure, which is reaching its fourth day. Sasuke understands that her past is something he does not know how to deal with, and it frustrates him. But for her sake, and for the sake of rebuilding their bonds as a team and a family, he knows that he must keep himself in check for much longer than he had in the aftermath of the Uchiha massacre.

"That's why we decided to set up this place. This is the only house left by my clan. Iith all the orphans who were left behind during the war, _and_ with Juugo's need of protecting something now that this asshole is outta the picture, we came back to Kiri and welcomed as many kids as we could," Suigetsu explains with his arms crossed, leaning back on his chair nonchalantly.

He grins his sharp teeth at Sakura's approving expression and Sasuke feels his body slightly turn towards hers before his consciousness realizes.

"Kirigakure has been kind enough to allow us to set up this orphanage," Juugo continues. "The Mizukage let me become a shinobi of the village after all the good she's seen happening here. The children don't have anywhere else to go. This is their home."

"It's very giving of you," Sakura comments.

Sasuke is reminded of how happy she was doing medical check-ups on the orphans earlier on. Of how her laugh resonated in his ears as she observed him awkwardly try to engage with the children while Naruto got most of the attention. Of how her chakra signature softened when she noticed the same girl who had tripped on her feet ask Sasuke if she could sit on her lap and look at his Rinnegan with the curiosity that came with her age. The little girl's name was Sarada, and Sasuke does not think he will ever forget about the way her short, thin hair reminded him of his own.

"I like how one of the Swordsmen puts little kids first before his love for his weapon," Naruto grins. "It's like you're the reflection of what the hidden villages should do. Forget the weapons and help others."

The Child of the Prophecy has spoken, Kakashi contemplates.

"So, Sasuke. What's the plan now?" Suigetsu directs his gaze at the last Uchiha. "We have found meaning outside of covering your ass. Out of curiosity, what have _you_ been up to?"

"Traveling," Sasuke replies simply. Every person present in the room is aware of his habit of answering long questions with one word.

There was a time when Juugo depended on his Sharingan to keep his mood swings in check. When Suigetsu craved for cutting flesh with anything that was sharp within reach.

Sasuke wonders if having this orphanage is their way of coping with their own past.

"We are on a... diplomatic, team rebuilding exercise, or at least that's what I agreed with the Mizukage," Kakashi fills in, and Naruto nods in agreement.

It means that after they leave Kirigakure, they will make their way back to the Land of Lightning where the Raikage may not be as welcome. Nonetheless, with Naruto and Kakashi present, Sasuke's own involvement in ending the Infinite Tsukiyomi, and the fact that the war ended months ago it might be easier to convince Kumogakure of their intentions as Konoha's delegates.

After all, they already explored a lot of the Land of Lightning to know how much it has to offer. Through all of his travels, though, Sasuke cannot deny that his preferred landscape is still the endless greenery that surrounds the Land of Fire.

"And I'm guessing that this traveling is partly because of all the fuck-ups this guy has done in the past," Suigetsu suggests.

"Partly."

"Yes."

"We've all made mistakes in the past."

Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura look at one another after their answers leave their mouths. Sasuke can see the faint blush appear on his teammate's rosy cheeks as she turns her face away from the round table. Even though it's rather dark and his vision hasn't recovered, he can still make out the embarrassment on Sakura. He can only imagine how much more obvious it is to everyone else.

He learns that she, unlike the other male members of team 7, has many faces. Maybe it comes with being a kunoichi. Maybe it comes with her trauma, or because she has always been the one to express the widest range of emotions in front of him. Sasuke has already seen many of the Sakuras she has to offer. There is the warrior, the teammate, the medic, the politician, the young girl, the vulnerable victim, the resilient woman, the innocent, the teacher, the student. He is quite sure that she has much more to show, and that he has a lot more to learn.

Naruto and he do not need to exchange words to understand one another; a fist bump is enough to know what the other is currently feeling and experiencing. Kakashi lives in his past, but he is slowly starting to accept the present and prepare for the future by learning from his students.

Out of all of them, Sakura is the most interesting to him.

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" he asks in the middle of the night when everyone else has retreated to sleep. The couch in uncomfortable on his back and he doubts he will rest properly before the sunrise.<p>

"He died in battle," she replies after a pause, her voice leveled so that he is the only one to hear.

He doesn't ask any further. His mind is filled with memories of the many times she tried to get him to open up to her welcoming words and arms. Of the many times he shot her down because thinking about the past made -and, at times, still makes- it too difficult to breathe. Of how it took him years to finally reveal the secrets of his clan, even though Kakashi and Naruto were aware of it for a while.

One step at a time, he thinks. Take small steps, let her get used to this new boy (or man?) who would no longer aim a Chidori at her back, wrap his palm around her throat with murder in mind, call her useless in one of the most important battles in all of shinobi history. There are many more things he needs to revisit, to change about himself. A few months is not enough time to recuperate the trust from their genin days.

Small steps, he repeats, and the words almost come out of his mouth.

* * *

><p>"Naruto-niisan! Don't go!" a child cries as she holds on to the blond's leg in an effort to prevent him from moving.<p>

Naruto sweat drops as another herd of kids come and begin to plead the same tantrum.

Sakura gives a hug to all of the Kiri orphans. They smile back at her, thanking her for playing doctor and patient with them. She feels a tugging sensation in her heart, thinking of how their eyes are clouded in confusion and fear for what is to come now that the war is over and they are left to their own devices. She wonders if she has that same expression when she thinks about her own aftermath of the war.

She offers them candy, one of the tips she learned while she worked at the hospital back in Konoha. The children accept it with enthusiasm. excited to receive their first present 'in forever', as some of them would say. They even begin to exchange flavours between one another, trading if someone else got their favourites. Sakura thinks about how much these children make of what little they have. They may live in a poor orphanage run by two of Orochimaru's former experiments, but they are thankful of being accepted by their peers. Even the ones who are missing a limb; they get help from the more capable children and she finally knows that they will be alright in the future.

She still lingers on their lack of resources, and wishes she could give them more than just lollipops. The clothing the orphans wear is dirty and ripped in many places. Perhaps they need new pairs of shoes, or new blankets to keep them warm during the cold months. She could leave behind one or two nutritious recipes so that Juugo and Suigetsu feed them the right foods. Or she could even stay behind and help, to find forgiveness among the love of children, and live with the only purpose of helping others because it is easier than helping oneself. Then, taking care of these children could-

"Don't even think about it."

Sasuke's voice cuts off her trail of thought. She is reminded of the day after she helped deliver that baby. Of how he asked her to come with him, because team 7 is not the same without a Haruno. Sakura feels guilty by her selfishness, knowing that her family needs her just as much and that rebuilding a team cannot be done so if she stays behind. Sasuke always gets his way; he, Naruto and Kakashi would not let her fall into isolation.

She watches how a small girl approaches her male teammate shyly. Sasuke eyes her with familiarity, though still uncomfortable interacting with children. The girl lifts her arms, and he carefully lowers his until he picks her up from the ground. She places her small hand under Sasuke's Rinnegan eye and mutters something too quiet for Sakura to understand. His eye goes to its normal onyx colour before returning to the circles and lilac, causing the little girl to squeal and bury her face in his shoulder.

Sakura feels a warm sensation inside as Sasuke tightens his hold in the little girl. See, he can make a difference, she wants to say. Naruto is universally known for swaying people with his words, for being the light in the darkest room even when there is no hope left. Sasuke hasn't realized his potential of helping people in the smallest ways, and Sakura wishes for him to notice how he can also bring good into this world.

Or, maybe, the little girl has just developed her first crush on the same boy Sakura had liked she she was a child.

They bid their farewells, Juugo holding the hands of two kids while Suigetsu piggyback rides the girl that has caught Uchiha Sasuke's attention. The children's voices follow them until they reach the entrance gate of Kirigakure, the road toward the port in front of them. Now, Kumogakure is up ahead, and Sakura wonders who or what agreed to this diplomatic idea. Nonetheless, she is thankful that their travels have another purpose now.

She needs to have a word with her knucklehead teammate, suspicious that he has a lot to do behind the decision making.

"What was her name?" she finally asks when they reach the boat that is set to bring them back to the Land of Lightning. Back to their journey.

Sasuke lifts an eyebrow in confusion. Sakura giggles, feeling a little lighter with the memory of Sasuke acting so vulnerable and so _familiar_ with a stranger.

"Sarada," he answers when her question clicks.

Sarada, Sakura repeats to herself. It has a nice ring to it.

* * *

><p><strong>HA! Ya like that last part? my headcannon in my au-ish fanfic? There are waaaayyy too many people getting worked up about SaladSalada/Sarada/Sara-chan, and decided to come up with my own n.n More nods towards the cannon ending will continue to appear.**

**I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter! I tweaked it a little, adding a trigger warning due to the topic of rape. Answering your reviews was an awesome thing to do. A lot of you made really important points and I am thankful that we see eye to eye (though there is nothing wrong with disagreeing with my argument, although there IS something wrong with justifying rape).**

**This chapter explores more of their dynamics, and of how future ones will be like. Yes, there will be a LOT of guest features, and I'm so excited about them! **

**More SasuSaku will come too. I'm already itching to write the next chapter because AH feels.**

**Sincerely,**

**MSM**

**Ps: there is a link on my profile where you can check out my new tattoo! I'm a potterhead and narutard. No really. I am.**


	8. Chance

**Chance**

_Tsunade-sama,_

_It's been a while since I have written to you. All is well. We have decided to use this team rebuilding exercise as a diplomatic journey throughout the hidden villages. This is our chance to maintain the ties that were made during the war, and I hope that you are happy with this plan._

_Kakashi-sensei is still reading his novels. Naruto and Sasuke aren't killing each other. I'm still the same._

_Send my love to my parents and friends._

_Sakura._

* * *

><p>His face strains when he is asleep.<p>

Sakura notices this every time she is the first to wake up. He must be dreaming. The sun is rising in the background, the smoke of last night's bonfire smells like burned wood and nature, Kakashi and Naruto are sleeping on the opposite side. She does not move from her position and watches as Sasuke moves in his sleep.

If she extends her arm, she would be able to touch his arm. Her cloak feels heavy covering her body, but makes no motion to readjust herself for her eyes are entranced in her teammate.

Sakura cannot pinpoint the exact moment that she fell in love with him. It was so many years ago that it feels like she has loved Sasuke since her first memory. It might have happened when she saw who he really was when they were genin, during the Chūnin exams, or maybe when she thought he died protecting Naruto from Haku's attack.

She sees him as a real person, in spite of his power as a ninja. In the eyes of others, Sasuke could easily be considered more than that because of his reputation. She can see through every flaw, can tell when his walls are up, can tell when he is thinking about the past and creating what-ifs in his imagination. Sasuke may be more open with them right now, but she still feels that there is a lot of healing to do before either of them can go back to Konoha.

Even during Sakura's darkest times, the hope and dream of Sasuke returning to her keeps her on her feet. He now knows what happened to her, and Sakura knows that he does not know how to deal with a situation like that. He has never experienced it. No, his pain comes in losing loved ones and in revenge, in years of sinking in dark waters. Something was taken from her, something that is just as unfair and it is upsetting because she cannot do anything about it. After all the healing she has been taught to do in the past years, her perfect chakra control is not what she needs to make her pain disappear.

There are things that even the greatest shinobi technique cannot defeat.

Maybe there aren't that many differences between her and Sasuke.

It is as if her thoughts wake up him. He opens his eyes and stares right back at her, unmoved. His black fringe covers part of his right eye, and he has never looked so human to her before. There is something about the first seconds after one wakes up, when reality still does not sink in, and one looks at peace with the world around them before their consciousness manifests. Sasuke's features settle for a more relaxed expression. He is awake and away from whatever was invading his dreams. Sakura is aware of how the past chases him when he closes his eyes, how, in general, he likes to be the last one to fall asleep and the first one to rise. There are too many unanswered questions in his mind, and they all appear at night.

It is the same thing for her.

"How do you do it?"

The words escape her lips before she thinks about them.

Sasuke doesn't move and she takes a chance to study his features. His almond shaped eyes, his fine nose, thin lips, strong jawline. So much about him has changed that if it weren't for their chance at reconnecting, Sakura would not be able to recognize the shinobi.

Sakura continues without expecting an answer. "Sometimes I can't. I spend nights awake, holding on to a weapon, afraid that somebody is going to come and attack me."

She recalls the first days after the final battle. When it was all sinking in and she had to learn how to build up her walls and cope with her growing paranoia.

"You learn to live with it," he says.

She doesn't know if he means it in an optimistic way or not.

Her arm moves from under her cloak, and she slowly reaches out her hand. She doesn't blink and neither does he when fingertips softly touch his cheek. He has always been so far away from her, in another country, in another mental reality. But he's come back to her, and is proving his worth by trying to live connected to people who care about him.

Sakura knows that, deep down, they would never get a chance like this in the future.

Her fingers trace his nose, under his eyes, his jawline, all the places she dedicates herself to learn. They push his fringe away from his face, all the while he does not move or flinch at her touch. It is such a contrast from the reality he lives in his mind, and Sakura wonders if he is letting her do this because he likes to feel connected to someone or because he does not want to make her feel sad by rejecting her.

She feels the lines beginning to form under his eyes and between his eyebrows. He is too young to have them in his handsome face, but they show her all the emotions he is capable of feeling. It shows her how upset, confused, hurt he has been for most of his life. How much sleep he has lost and is still struggling to regain.

Sakura has seen the same lines in Naruto's face, though he recovers really fast from them, with the intent of never giving up. It is as if Sasuke decides to keep them there as a memento, an exposed reminder of how much fate has weathered him. She accepts them nonetheless. Her Sasuke-kun wouldn't be the same without his determination to show the world who he is and what he is capable of.

She feels a light tap on her forehead, very close to where her Yin seal is, and finds Sasuke pulling two of his fingers back into his sleeping bag.

"Go back to sleep," he says. "I'll still be here when you wake up."

It's the same gesture he did after she helped deliver that baby. There must be something about it that is important to him, but her eyes close and she forgets to think about it.

* * *

><p>Every day, she thinks, every day it is supposed to get easier. But sometimes there is too much to bear; pain and memories assault her from behind her mind, halting her movements, eyes wide in shock. Her breathing becomes ragged, and she has to channel chakra into her heart to calm it down and not cause a scene. She feels the sweat build up in her temple, and has to clean it with the back of her gloved hand before her discomfort is too obvious in front of the boys.<p>

Kakashi, though, always takes notice. That is how he found out about it. Sakura doesn't know how much it pains him to see her suffer in the aftermath without knowing what to do; male shinobi receive a slightly different form of training than females, and not much is shared in between. That is something he will change when he takes on the mantle back in Konoha.

He recalls the first days after the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke. He and Sakura had insisted on this team rebuilding journey, outlining all the potential that came in reuniting Team 7 formally and sentimentally. The Kages at first did not agree with their plan, but once Kakashi stated that as he holds the future of Konoha in his hands, having Sasuke on his side as an ally was primal in the survival of the shinobi world. Too much damage has already been done by and to his former student, and it isn't a lie when Kakashi says that he deeply cares for Sasuke's well-being.

But what impressed him the most was the strength in political affairs that Sakura held. When talking to the five most powerful shinobi, the girl carried herself like a professional, and Kakashi spotted Tsunade smirking more than once when Sakura expressed her arguments to the audience. It was a complete contrast to the broken kunoichi he found no later than two hours after their meeting. It was then that Kakashi knew, with not so many words spoken but a mutual communication of looks and consolation.

Kakashi's heart has been broken many times before. His parents, Obito, Rin, and Minato were some of the hardest hits in his life. Naruto and Sasuke's fate broke his heart. His failures in the past, even though he is guaranteed the position of Hokage, are still haunting him in his sleep. But Sakura... his dear, strong, Sakura. Her fate was one of the most unfair things he has seen.

And it breaks him too.

"Kakashi-sensei?" he hears his student calling.

Kakashi meets with her soft green eyes, then turns to the tall figure standing by her side and slightly leaning towards her. Sasuke knows, much like Kakashi predicted back in Kirigakure. His stance has changed around Sakura, trying to show a different sort of protection from what it was like during their genin days. Back when his students were just starting, Sasuke, Naruto and he would always become her shield on time.

Now, though, their protection had not arrived on time. But Sakura learned how to build her own defense, how to mend, how to sway with her words, and Kakashi regrets being so absent in his student's development under Tsunade. He thought that she was under better hands now, that Tsunade would probably handle her better because they have their gender and temper in common. Still, Kakashi feels that he was too detached in her years of development.

But she is here now. And he knows that he will not make the same mistake in the future.

"Ah, I seem to have gotten lost in the path of life."

Sasuke is gone, probably off to find Naruto. This is the perfect opportunity.

"But you weren't reading your novels or- anyway, Sasuke-kun and Naruto are already on the road to Kumo. We should get going too."

"Before that, Sakura. There is something I want to tell you."

She looks back over her shoulder with curiosity. Kakashi wonders when she stopped being a child.

"When we go back to Konoha, I want you to be part of my council."

She will probably have a lot of work at the hospital, and Tsunade may not be happy in handing him one of her disciples, but Kakashi feels that he needs to let her know how important her opinion is to him. This is a sudden promise, an impromptu proposition with much anticipated thought for Sakura to show her talents in different areas. The Hokage gets to choose advisers and assistants outside of the clan leaders. Sakura is the perfect candidate for that job.

"W-Why?" she asks, fully turned to face her sensei with confusion on her face.

"You are the most intelligent out of the three and I need a leveled head to tell me when I'm straying."

He ruffles her hair affectionately, and for the split of a second he is looking back at a twelve year old before she turns into an adult. Time flies, pain happens, and Sakura deserves the same privileged opportunity as Sasuke needs his atonement.

"But, sensei, that is... a lot of responsibility."

Kakashi smiles under his mask. "You already know what it's like because of Tsunade."

"Don't you think I'm too young for it?"

"Perhaps what I need is a young person's opinion. The council is mostly made up of old geezers, so hearing new opinions from someone as intelligent as you will make them reconsider their opinions in village matters."

Sakura looks down to the ground, taking in the opportunity Kakashi is offering her and he can see the screws turning in her head as she thinks.

"Why not Naruto or Sasuke-kun?"

He chuckles. Sakura will always be his favourite. "They would probably steal my book collection."

* * *

><p>His back is on her line of sight, and she can outline the large fan engraved on his skin. The vibrant, fiery, mad red at the top, and the subtle colour of his own pale skin at the bottom. Its black lines curve so perfectly, as it is embroidered in all of his clothes. She wonders if he will continue using the clothes of his clan now that the uchiwa symbol is forever marked on him.<p>

The water that drips down his hair slightly flattens it, making her notice how long it has gotten in the past months. He will probably need a haircut soon, unless he decides to continue growing his pitch black locks like many of his ancestors have. Some of the water runs down in the middle of his spine, trailing a path for her eyes to follow from his cervical area until his coccyx. She cannot stray from it, imprinting this image into her memory to later revisit.

As Sasuke gets out and into the opposite shore of the river, he puts the tunic over his exposed torso, hiding it from her curiosity as she takes in the hard lines of his chest before it is tucked under the fabric. He then proceeds to tie the purple rope over his waist. It is one of his pieces of garment that connects him back to Orochimaru and she hasn't asked him why he still wears it. She doubts he ever respected the snake Sannin, but his time away from Konoha is a subject they have yet to touch upon. His clan's demise, has been dealt with. But she knows that there is still a lot to find out about the Sasuke that was compared to the one he is now.

He picks up his katana from the ground and slides it on the purple rope, settling its hilt on his right side. Blade on the right; Chidori on the left. It is little things like this that make her realize how much detail he puts into everything he does in life.

And it takes to see him bathe in the river, while on a stop during their journey, for Sakura to realize that she stopped loving a boy a very long time ago and started loving a man.

"He's changed a lot 'ttebayo," Naruto comments, taking a seat beside her by the river. His hair is still wet but he is already dressed.

Sakura leans her head on her teammate's shoulder, taking in the radiating comfort that Naruto has with everyone. He is one of the most important people in her life, ever since they became a team all those years ago. Hiding the truth from Naruto is creating a huge dent in their trust, something they had to build on with the goal of getting Sasuke back, but she cannot bring herself to tell him.

She thinks of all the missions with Naruto, from their genin days until now (even though she is the only chūnin out of the three), and knows that he isn't one to turn back on his words. Sakura wishes that every reincarnation of Naruto is present in every reincarnation of her life; he is truly a golden wonder in this unfair world. He is her best friend, her teammate, her brother.

"We all have."

But she knows that Naruto will need a more detailed explanation of what happened to her and she still cannot bring herself to tell the whole story. Kakashi didn't need to hear much to know; Sasuke had to literally isolate her and hear bits of the story to know; Naruto... he may be a wonder, but his head is too thick to understand a story without hearing its beginning, middle and end.

When the time comes, he will know, she tells herself. He will know and accept her nonetheless because they are teammates and family and are supposed to rebuild their bonds.

"Sakura-chan, do you think it will be like this when we go back?"

"What do you mean?"

Naruto hesitates. "Like, you know, the four of us getting along. Like nothing's gonna separate us again."

"I think that nothing can separate us anymore, Naruto."

Sakura lifts her head from his shoulder and gives it a little bump with her own. She wants her words to be true. Kakashi will be Hokage, and granted her a place in his council. Naruto will eventually take the title, and her position of authority may or may not falter. Sasuke _should_ be coming back to the village with them. He doesn't have anywhere else to stay, and Sakura hopes that he has found enough reason to call their team a home for him to want to settle in Konoha.

"Yeah, you're right. He can't leave us like he did before."

Naruto thinks of the time he saw Sasuke cry after their battle was over. They were tears of joy and relief, of repentance and atonement. They told Naruto, without words being exchanged or fists bumped, that he had finally succeeded in saving his best friend and brother. Sasuke does not let many see him in such a vulnerable state, but it is one of Naruto's most precious memories.

* * *

><p>The mountainous landscape of the Land of Lightning welcomes them as they approach Kumogakure. Naruto's excitement grows, knowing that Killer Bee is not too far away and it has been a while since he has seen a friend other than his team. Kakashi and Sakura are mentally preparing themselves to face the village council with their diplomatic goal. Sasuke, though his face does not show, is slightly dreading his reunion with the Raikage.<p>

And the jinchūriki he attempted to kill.

Kumogakure is definitely not going to be the most accommodating village to the last Uchiha. He just hopes that his presence does not hinder his team's chance of reinforcing peaceful ties between Konoha and the other villages.

On a brighter note -words that Sasuke never thought he was going to express aloud-, his eyesight is improving. Sakura has been a patient teacher, giving him small lessons on medical jutsu and how to control his chakra to heal. At least he is able to help his teammate in mending broken things, though he is sure that the process will become more arduous and will take more than fixing the physical things. After all, he still has his own healing to go through.

It just proves that the time after war isn't always peaceful.

The mountains that surround Kumo are much taller than Kiri's. Clouds form around the buildings, giving them the illusion of levitating in the sky. Sakura notices how Sasuke is taking slightly slower steps than the rest of the team, looks back on him before falling on the same steps and gets close enough to bump her shoulder on his arm.

My, he has gotten so tall.

"You're worried," she states without making eye contact.

Sasuke shifts his cloak and she can hear the faint clink of his katana underneath. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sakura gives his arm a light squeeze, almost unnoticeable to their other two companions, and offers him a comforting smile.

"Just let me and Kakashi-sensei take care of it. He wants me to be part of his council when we are back in Konoha, so this is all part of my training."

Sasuke is reminded of Sakura's many faces. He is still unaware of how Team 7 managed to get this opportunity to reconnect, but is quite sure that Sakura held a central role in giving him a second chance in freedom.

"He couldn't have chosen someone better."

The people of Kumogakure, unlike Kiri, tend to have a darker shade of skin. Once again, Team 7 are easily recognized as the strange foreigners as they make their way to the largest structure, a blue structure built into a mountain with Lighting written between the Raikage's office's windows. A, known for bursting through walls and windows rather than exiting through the door, is sitting in his office when Team 7 arrives.

The Raikage's white eyebrow raises, his sole hand resting under his chin.

"So it's the famous Team 7. Your Hokage has been wondering about you."

"Raikage-sama," Kakashi bows, "we are here as delegates with the goal of reinforcing ties among all the hidden villages."

"You mean your team rebuilding exercise? When did this turn into a diplomatic mission?"

"Tsunade-sama is aware of our intentions," Sakura adds, and the Raikage's eyes fall on her.

A must remember her from their last Kage meeting. She made sure to leave an impression to the village leaders with all of her skills as a kunoichi.

He remains silent for a moment, his brow furrowed as he analyses the four Konoha shinobi. He then directs to the blond member of Team 7.

"Uzumaki Naruto will always be welcome in our village. He is our saviour, after all."

"Raikage-sama, we ask your permission to stay in your village." Kakashi knows that, out of all the Kage, A would be the most difficult to convince due to the past relations between Kumo and Konoha. If it weren't for the last war, the two villages would not be in good terms.

There was another pregnant pause before the leader spoke. "If you let me use the Uchiha brat as a punching bag, then yes."

Sasuke knows that he has to bite his tongue with these comments. After all, he is the least liked of Team 7. Naruto and Sakura get all the praise, of course, and they have every right for it. Kakashi is the future Hokage who has proved his worth countless times. He, on the other hand, has enough blood in his hands to mark him for a lifetime. In this journey of rebuilding bonds and repentance, he needs to deal with the repercussions of his own past.

Having only one arm does not seem to limit the Raikage nonetheless.

"Also, I want Haruno Sakura to speak with Kumo's head medic-nin about our hospital structure."

With his hand, the Raikage motions his assistant, Darui, to lead Sakura out of his office. She follows the dark-skinned man without question, quite aware of her new diplomatic role as well as her medical reputation. This, it seems, is her time to shine. It raises her spirits, and the corners of her lips lift slightly as she follows Darui out of the building.

It's the perfect set up to show her team that she works just as hard.

And Sakura wonders if Sasuke thinks about how strong she has gotten.

Back in the office, the Raikage continues speaking. "Naruto, I believe that my brother wishes to see you."

"Bee's here!? Where!?"

Naruto's face lights up at the mention of his fellow jinchūriki. It has been a while since he last saw Bee, and Naruto wonders how he and Gyūki have been doing since the end of the war. He feels his feet wanting to skip up and down in excitement, and once the Raikage allows him to leave, Naruto darts out of the office in lightning speed without farewell.

He's the saviour of the world, so he can cut back on his manners, right?

"Raikage-sama, if you will excuse us, we will take a walk down your village," Kakashi says, sending a side glance to his remaining student in the office.

Sasuke may not show it, but he does not feel very happy about being used as a punching bag and accepts Kakashi's offer. The two finally exit without exchanging a word, but Kakashi knows that there are things he needs to discuss with the young man. He treats all of his students differently, knowing how much each has grown as individuals and under which circumstances.

The two Konoha shinobi find themselves walking towards one of Kumo's training grounds. It is not that they planned it, but their steps took them towards that directions after seeing the busy main streets of the village. Kakashi recognizes that he still has a lot in common with Sasuke. Neither of them enjoy busy places and prefer solitude, though in different levels. Unlike the normally outgoing personality of shinobi from Konoha, like Naruto, the teacher and the last Uchiha prefer quietness.

It calms their fears, their mistakes. And it is a much better distraction than the sounding reminder that they have been alone for a significant part of their lives.

"This might be the only chance that you get to spar with your future Hokage," Kakashi comments, standing a few feet away from his student.

The slight lift in the corner of Sasuke's mouth shows Kakashi that his comment may apply to more than just one Hokage. Both men set two fingers in front of their chests as the traditional salute between sparring partners. Kakashi recalls the many times he has done this with Obito, and for the split of a second his eyes confuse Sasuke with the Uchiha that he once lost so many years ago. In spite of their different personalities, there is a sort of resemblance between all members of the same clan.

Obito is in a much better place right now, with Rin, waiting until Kakashi is old enough to join them.

"Bring it."

* * *

><p><strong>UVERworld is perfect when I write this. Let's not mention the lack of SasuSaku in the Last, but rejoice in the NaruHina!<strong>

**Tsunade's letter was added as a last minute thing. It fills in some gaps, and I'm thinking of adding a scene of her replying to one of Sakura's letters and she isn't alone in the room. **

**I wonder what Kakashi and Sasuke will talk about :O and who is Sakura going to meet with?**

**I just finished my application for grad school x.x my poor wallet.**

**Sincerely,**

**MSM**


	9. Questions

**Questions**

Metal clashes with metal, sending sparks flying in every direction as their bodies become blurs in the training ground. Sasuke easily adapts to Kumo's landscape; after years of travelling he has found advantages in fighting on different grounds. Analyzing is surroundings is second nature to him. The soil is more moist than Konoha's, more like the one back in Otogakure. The air isn't as thick as Kirigakure, though the misty clouds aren't too high up either.

Before he can continue learning about his surroundings, Kakashi surprises him with a forward jab. He dodges it, reaching for the seal on his wrist that summons shuriken and throws them at his teacher as he swiftly backs away. Sasuke cannot even remember the last time he sparred with Kakashi without a hostile reason. So much has happened in the past years that many scenes of his current reality were impossible to his younger self.

Itachi would be proud. At least that is what Sasuke hopes.

"I may not have the Sharingan anymore, and you may have surpassed me, but do not underestimate my abilities by getting distracted."

Three shadow clones runs towards Sasuke from different directions. In lightning speed, he unsheathes his katana and slices it through the air, making the three Kakashis disappear. The feels a motion coming from the sky, and finds his real teacher charging towards him from above.

There is no way he can take Kakashi lightly. He may not be as strong, but his old teacher has more years of experience and wisdom, which turn into a great advantage in the battlefield. Sasuke tells himself he will never say those words aloud, preferring to demonstrate his respect for his old teacher with silent actions. After all, both of them had thought the same thing when they found themselves standing in this training ground.

Nonetheless, Sasuke still has to activate his eyes. Most of the time, he and Naruto have to restrain from using their specialties since they could easily cause the destruction of their surroundings. There is a lot more brute force at play when he spars with his best friend. Kakashi, on the other hand, requires more tactic and thinking ahead. It isn't all about throwing punches at one another.

He wonders how it might be like if he spars with Sakura.

"You're not paying attention."

Kakashi's voice snaps him out of the mental image of his teammate's broken face, and he is almost stabbed in the chest by a kunai. Sasuke jumps back several feet, keeping his distance from his teacher and his thoughts as he thinks of an attack plan. There must not be any raw emotions when fighting with Kakashi. Even without Obito's eye, the old man can still read him much better than any of his previous opponents.

Sasuke dashes forward, his katana on his right hand and a chirping Chidori on his left.

He is going so fast that Kakashi can barely make out his figure before he is slammed on the ground, with a blade stabbing his left shoulder and his own jutsu screaming beside his right ear. The teacher frowns, looking straight into Sasuke's mismatched eyes and the rigid muscles tensing his jaw.

"She told you."

Kakashi knows that his words trigger something in the back of Sasuke's mind. His student's expression shifts, at first showing shock and then quickly replaced with anger. He sees Sasuke pulling the blade out of his shoulder and quickly lifts himself up from the ground, putting pressure on the wound with one hand while the other prepares his own Chidori.

Both charge forward, their steps almost silent on the ground as their matching techniques make contact, creating a small crater on the ground. Kakashi hears his own panting then, noticing that it has been a while since he's engaged in a spar. The young man standing in front of him is still unhurt, yet his stance shows that there is much conflict going in his mind.

"You're thinking about it," he says.

Sasuke attempts to stab his katana on Kakashi's other shoulder, but he dodges it, and ends up landing its tip on the ground before it buries with the strength of his arm.

"It's killing you," Kakashi continues.

This isn't supposed to be an easy conversation. And he knows how much Sasuke must have been holding in since their dinner with the Mizukage back in Kiri. It is easy to read. Sasuke must be afraid of lashing out at Sakura, knowing how much more it could hurt her, and he doesn't know how to deal with a sort of pain that has never been present in his life. Kakashi knows the questions that must be going through Sasuke's mind.

How do you help a friend who's been violated like Sakura has?

Can you understand what it's like?

How can one heal from it?

His student growls, dismissing his main weapon and reaching back for the sealed shuriken on his wrist. He launches them forward and Kakashi protects his face with his forearm, feeling the metal sinking into his skin. He feels blood staining his clothing instantly.

Kakashi can already hear the most important question invading Sasuke's every waking and sleeping moment.

What do you do when the person you love has suffered and you weren't there to help them?

In a moment of chance, when Sasuke lunges forward once again, Kakashi catches him by the arm and twists it until he is faced down on the ground, deadlocked. One small move and he knows he will dislocate Sasuke's shoulder. However, the young man trapped underneath his strong grip isn't showing signs of giving in.

"It's really common," Kakashi finally says.

Sasuke's voice hisses through his heavy breathing. "She didn't deserve it."

"Nobody does."

Nobody deserves to lose as much as they had either. To be alone when it happens, to suffer the consequences. It leads people, especially shinobi, to choose the wrong ideology and hurt more people in the process.

"She's much stronger than before."

"Then why did it happen to her!?" Sasuke spits out.

They both hear the loud snap coming from his shoulder, and then the painful sound exhaling from Sasuke's mouth. He doesn't care. Let him feel the pain. Let him harbour all the pain and hatred in this world so that she doesn't have to go through anything like it ever again. So that she may, one day, forget it and move on with her life.

Sasuke isn't trying to move anymore. The pain of his dislocated shoulder is searing through his skin, invading his arm and then his back and neck. He knows that with an easy movement he can pop it back in place, but, just this once, he hopes Kakashi lets him _enjoy_ the pain.

"It will stay with her forever. No matter what."

Sasuke promised himself that he was going to help her recover. But how? Can his mere presence, his natural need of protecting her, be enough to heal the wounds he didn't inflict on her? After everything, after all the times he's hurt her and she's stuck by his side. Is this his way of thanking her? Or is this just...

"You asked why it happened to her," Kakashi continues. "Sasuke, there are things that we as grown men aren't exposed to as much as kunoichi. You never spent that much time training with girls your age, so you wouldn't know. But even in the battlefield, when we as shinobi are supposed to be at our strongest, there are people who will use certain methods to gain power and to get revenge."

"Revenge," he repeats.

Oh, that fucking word. He will never think of it like before.

"To inflict pain is natural for humans. To do it in the way that Sakura took it is unfair and it should be faced with trial. There are far too many cases of kunoichi facing the same experience and not being able to talk about it for the sake of their villages."

Sasuke swallows, feeling blood going down his dried throat. His jaw shivers, and he has to bite his lower lip to keep it from shaking his whole body. He stands up, taking a hold of his shoulder. Kakashi maintains his hands at his sides, waiting, observing.

"Then what's the point of being loyal to a village that is only going to fuck you over!?"

And his question resonates much more than Sakura's case. He's seen it happen in the past, where a shinobi dedicates his whole life in being loyal to an institution, an idea, and then suffer the consequences of maintaining peace in a place that's only brought war. Itachi's dying, and the rest of his family, appear behind his eyelids.

"Sasuke, this is why we must rebuild everything from the ground up. Your brother lost his life so that you could grow old in a better place. We are the ones that must correct our ancestors' past. This is why," Kakashi emphasizes, "I want Sakura to be in my council. She is young and intelligent, and in spite of her own suffering, a lot more level-headed than you. Help her make a difference so that future kunoichi don't have to remain silent."

He looks straight into his teacher's black eyes, the vertical scar on his left eye being the evidence of how much Kakashi has gained and lost in his life. Sasuke brings his index and middle fingers towards his torso.

"Kai."

And they are thrown back into the uninterrupted landscape of Kumo's training ground. There is no sign of the small crater they had previously created, Kakashi is standing in a lazy pose with his hands in his pockets, and Sasuke's shoulder isn't dislocated. With the genjutsu he had cast when he activated his eyes over, there is no sign of them having sparred.

However, he feels two trails of tears falling down his cheeks. His chest feels tight, his heart thumping against his rib cage at a thunderous speed and sound. The last time he cried, it was after his fight with Naruto was over and he was falling into unconsciousness.

The last time he cried for his teammate... Actually, Sasuke realizes, he has never cried for Sakura before. And it hurts him even more. The last time he cried this much was when he found out the truth behind his clan's massacre from Obito. It tore him apart and left him vulnerable for the wrong ideas to swim into his head.

"Our lesson here is over," Kakashi says, and he walks away, leaving Sasuke to regain is composure.

Sasuke's eyes go back to their normal colour. He wipes the tears way from his face and forces them to the back of his eyes. He cannot show weakness. He never has, and he never will.

Moments later, when he is able to calm down and before he leaves the training, Sasuke grabs his shoulder and dislocates it himself.

* * *

><p>"And this is where we've been keeping our emergency unit. After the war, we've had to cut back on its space since not many people seem to need urgent treatment."<p>

C shows her around Kumo's hospital. Much like Konoha's, it is a square building with white walls and the lingering scent of disinfectant and rubbing alcohol. It is a lot more outdated than the one she works at, and sees where there is potential for improvement. With the end of the war and the resetting of the villages' economies, it is only necessary that they renovate some of their infrastructure.

And her advice in how to do it in a foreign village is a perfect example of international cooperation. Tsunade-sama would be very proud of her.

"I can see where you can install new technology," she offered. "You should see what they are doing in the Land of Wind. Last I heard, they were experimenting with the sun's energy to work with their healing techniques."

One of the benefits of the Shinobi Alliance during the war was the sharing of information among all medics. Their profession crosses boundaries, and the natural curiosity of a medic nin enabled many of them to participate in shared studies and experiments while settled in their battlefield camp. That is where she first met C along with the top medic nins of the other nations. One night, they had all gathered under Shizune's request to have a meeting on how to improve their profession.

It was one of the most intellectually rewarding nights in Sakura's life.

They continue walking down the hallway. Not many rooms are occupied in the emergency unit, and most of the hospital's tour had been done in two hours since she left the Raikage's office. Speaking to someone about medical ninjutsu after spending months deprived from her profession feels like a wave of fresh air for Sakura. She truly missed it since her team's journey began.

"It is an honour to have Tsunade-sama's disciple in our hospital. Your shishou's contributions to our profession have caused a great impact across all the nations. Please, take a seat."

His office isn't too far away from the emergency unit, much like hers is back in Konoha. It is a small room with a desk covered in patient files and research articles. Sakura has read some of his work when she was in training, finding it impressive how he has achieved so much with accurate chakra control like hers.

"I never thought I would have a shinobi from Konoha sitting in my office, and I am truly honoured to have fought alongside you during the war." He leans back on his chair, placing his knuckles under his chin as he directs his gaze at Sakura.

"The honour is mine. I've read some of your work in the herbs found near the village," she chimes in.

Sakura can still remember the articles Tsuande assigned her as homework back when she was thirteen and starting to train as a medic nin. Who knew that she was going to end up as one of the most recognized medics in all of the Five Nations?

"Ah, then I would be my pleasure to discuss your opinion tonight at the Raikage's dinner."

If Sakura didn't know any better, C's suggestion would have sounded like flirting to her ears.

As they exit his office and then the hospital building, her imagination dismisses that thought with their continuing conversation on poisonous herbs found in the south of the Land of Lightning. The sky is starting to cover with the mist's presence, and the few rays of sunlight left manage to survive on top of Kumo's tall buildings.

They are not too far away from the hospital when she spots him.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura waves at her teammate until his eyes leave the ground and look at her. He is one block away from reaching them, walking in slow steps. She turns towards C, who had stayed silent since she noticed Sasuke approaching them, and once again thanked him for showing her the hospital and the lovely conversation. Keep up the ambassador façade, she tells herself.

However, when she sees Sasuke walking by himself, she feels that all appearances have been thrown out of the window.

"I'll see you later, Sakura-san."

She doesn't notice how C's hand lands on her shoulder before he departs. Her eyes are concentrated on the Uchiha's figure as he gets closer. There is something about seeing Sasuke walking towards her that triggers old scenarios in her mind. She always imagined that he would look like this when he returned from his years away from Konoha; slowly walking towards her, not breaking eye contact, a hand on his shoulder, a dislocated shoulder.

A... dislocated shoulder?

Sakura reaches out her hand when Sasuke is closer enough. She doesn't hesitate in beginning to analyse what happened, and worry washes over her face. He doesn't flinch under her touch, already too used to having his limbs broken after challenging battles, she thinks. Arrogant boy, always getting in trouble.

"Who was it this time?" she asks.

Sasuke doesn't reply at first, but still follows her down the path that would take them far from the centre of the village. Sakura continues to walk, not knowing where it would lead them so long as it is at a distance from Kumo's crowds and potential interest as to why the legendary Uchiha Sasuke has dislocated his shoulder on the first day of his visit.

Keep up with the appearances, Sakura feels like reprimanding him. But she knows Sasuke too well to expect him to not care about how other perceive him. Whatever, he would scoff, turning his head in the opposite direction, trying to show off his superiority.

Sakura ends up finding a bathhouse along the way, benefits from their situation and books a room for Team 7 for the night. Their sleeping arrangements have not been made yet. Besides, she is quite sure that Sasuke would prefer getting treated in a closed space without any prying eyes. They sit in their assigned room, which includes four futons and beige walls with minimal decoration.

Sasuke is still clutching his shoulder, but has averted his eyes from hers. She notices that there are no signs of bruises on his arms or face, and raises her eyebrow when possible scenarios begin to play on her head. Sasuke is not clumsy enough to dislocate his shoulder doing menial work -for Kami's sake, he is a _legendary_ Sannin much like her, if not more.

"Take off your robe," she orders and ignores the warm sensation in growing in her cheeks.

When he finally looks at her in the eyes, Sakura notices that they carry a similar dull to the many times she's caught him thinking about the past. What could it have been this time? Nonetheless, he obeys her and dismisses his robe with little struggle in spite of the pain that must be searing through his arm and back. It is as if he's willing to take it, as if he's enjoying it. His exposed torso is covered in white bandages even though there are no signs of wounds. It's his habit, she thinks.

"What the hell did you do this time?" Sakura mutters under her breath after she begins to mend his shoulder.

She considers doing it without chakra by simply popping the bones back into place, but Sasuke could have done that himself if he has wanted to. "You have probably dislocated this so many times that you might end up with chronic instability. Do you even know how weak your arm can get if you don't treat it properly? Your muscle tissue can regenerate over and over with healing chakra but I won't always be there to mend your broken bones, Sasuke-kun."

This is the first time he flinches, and it feels like she just pinched him with a needle in a sensitive spot. Sasuke feels her fingers barely touching his skin, and thinks about his new wish for helping Sakura in healing for a better world. Even after watching her break down and mend other people, after realising what she means to him, Sasuke still unconsciously favours pain and suffering. He tells himself that he must not show weakness, but the woman sitting in front of him makes every thought in his head turn upside down.

Is it because of his past? How much more is it going to take to heal his own wounds? He's gone through episodes of panic attacks, nightmares, sudden flashbacks that stop him in the middle of walking. He knows that the storm will forever follow his footsteps, but how much more difficult is it going to make it for him to help others?

Can he truly find redemption?

"I don't even have enough ingredients to make you a cream that will sooth the soreness. Sorry, but you'll have to suck it up with the pain this time," she continues with the intention of adding on to her rambling, but is interrupted with his voice.

"It was me," Sasuke confesses.

That's when she notices it. It is as clear as the last rays of sunshine in Kumo, yet she wasn't able to see it at first. The glowing trails running down Sasuke's cheeks; the slight redness and puffiness in his eyes; his curved spine; him wanting to conceal every emotion with the tightening of his jaw. Sakura has seen him vulnerable many times in the past. She held his hand after Orochimaru gave him the cursed seal and he was in too much pain. She healed his wounds after fighting Naruto. She even soothed the lines on his face when the nightmares were affecting him too much.

"Sasuke-kun, were you crying?"

But it's never been like this.

The sight of her stoic teammate in front of her is something she never thought she would see. It makes sense, though, for someone as traumatized as Sasuke to suppress his feelings until his body can no longer contain them.

"Why -oh. _Oh."_

Somehow it all makes sense in her head. He is in Kumogakure, a village known for its past hostility towards Konoha. The Raikage isn't fond of him and neither the village's jinchūriki. She hasn't been around for most part of his day, too busy doing her own work. He must have been reminded of something from his past, pf his brother, mother and father. And that, added with the frustration of being in an unwelcoming place, must have triggered something inside of him.

She does not know how to react at first. All she does is wrap her arms around his neck, bringing him close enough to land his head on her shoulder and place a small hand on his long hair. Neither of them move for an eternity, Sakura too preoccupied that if she were to break away from him that he might fall back into the darkness that always follows his shadow. Sasuke, on the other hand, seems to be too emotionally drained to even open his eyes.

"You're home, Sasuke-kun. I'm here for you." _You're with me, and I'm not leaving. I'm your home._

Because this is how their comradeship -their _relationship-_ has evolved. When one is steeping low, the other takes care of reminding that they are not alone. This sort of interaction is something that Sakura was never allowed to enter before; it was always Naruto and Sasuke supporting one another in spite of her desire to provide the same type of comfort to her teammates.

Sakura guesses that her teammate hasn't been comforted in this way since he was a child, if not ever. The rare times he talks about his childhood in the Uchiha compound are filled with words of how life was like rather than of how he felt towards his family back then. He was far too young when everything was ripped out of his heart for the first time, and for it to happen again with Itachi's second departure is just cruel in her mind.

He chooses to remain silent, and it doesn't bother her. Sasuke is the type of person who either says nothing or says it all at once. He isn't one to express his ideas little by little, but would rather say it all at once when his mind is already made up. It hurts her knowing that he isn't ready to fully explain why he was crying, but at the same time grateful that he isn't breaking down in front of her because Sasuke-kun always acts like a strong person and it would take her back to her own hell.

She kisses his forehead for the first time that day. She lifts his head from her shoulder, touches the smooth skin of his cheek with her healing hand, and brings her lips close to the top of his head while her other hand pushes his hair away from his face. Sasuke's forehead feels like velvet, and she ignores the salty taste of his sweat lingering on her lips.

Sasuke's eyes snap open when he feels Sakura's kiss on him. The pain on his shoulder and his heart is gone, and is replaced by a wave of warmth in his neck and back. His heart thumps loud against his chest for a different reason than last time.

He loves her. Oh, how he loves her and wants to say that she shouldn't worry about him but no words come out of his mouth. He never learned how to express it.

He asks himself how he's ever deserved something like this, something like her. He doesn't. He's too toxic for Sakura, his fire too dangerous and too close to her green valley. He still doesn't know what thoughts ran through her mind to culminate in her comforting him when he's been wanting to do the opposite since she helped that poor woman in delivering her baby. He prefers not to ask, to let his thoughts wonder how fortune is not going to stay by his side for much longer like it has in the past.

Yet here she is, trying to mend his own broken spirit. And what she doesn't know is that she ignited something deep within his subconscious to make him cry. That his emotions have risen because of her. For _her._

* * *

><p><em>It was really hard to write an emotional Sasuke and a comforting Sakura, and I hope that their characterization is okay. I had to consult a lot of sad Naruto song playlists lol. Oh, and listen to Yellow Light by Of Monsters and Men for the last scene. I think it fits nicely.<em>

_This is another step in their relationship, and there will be ups and downs before the ending for sure so stay tuned! I really liked adding Kakashi's comment on a kunoichi's reality. It makes sense in my mind that they would have to remain silent in a patriarchal shinobi society, where village alliances are more important than a woman's reality. Just another reason why Naruto is a great tool to teach people about hardships in the world and how to endure.  
><em>

_I just posted a new story called King of Gods. It's a SasuSakuIndra love triangle._

_By the way, I'm going to be gone from ffnet for all of January. Going to the Atacama desert :) The story's rough outline is complete, though. All I have to do is continue writing._

_THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! Happy holidays and new year!_

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_


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